Homework answers / question archive / Essay Guide: An introductory paragraph (when writing about literature) must contain the following: A general statement: This is a sentence or two used to grab the reader’s attention

Essay Guide: An introductory paragraph (when writing about literature) must contain the following: A general statement: This is a sentence or two used to grab the reader’s attention

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Essay Guide: An introductory paragraph (when writing about literature) must contain the following: A general statement: This is a sentence or two used to grab the reader’s attention. A plot summary (or general summary if literature lacks a plot, poetry etc.): This is one or two sentences which include author, title, genre, setting, conflict, character. A central idea: This sentence states the main idea found in the literature you are discussing. A thesis: This sentence shows HOW the central idea is present in the text. A model is given below. There was a time in America’s past when the words of the Pledge of Allegiance, “with liberty and justice for all,” were but a dream for many. Harper Lee’s culturally important novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, is the story of a southern girl’s coming of age as her lawyer-father seeks justice for an innocent black man accused of a heinous crime. The central idea of the novel is that all men are indeed created equal and as such are entitled to fair treatment on every level. This idea is shown throughout the novel but is prominent in the scene at Calpurnia’s church, at the trial of Tom Robinson, and in the conversation regarding Boo Radley’s innocence. A sample outline would then follow the following format: I Introduction See above II Body A. Justice at Calpurnia’s church Here you would bullet any supporting details. B. Justice at the trial of Tom Robinson Here you would bullet any supporting details C. Justice in the conversation regarding Boo Radley’s innocence. Here you would bullet any supporting details. III Conclusion A good conclusion restates the main ideas of the essay and introduces areas for further research based on ideas within the essay. Sample background and topic sentences of first body paragraph: Although Harper Lee is writing To Kill a Mockingbird in the sixties, she places her novel in an equally important era in the Civil Rights Movement that is the time toward the end of the Depression and the beginnings of WWII. One of the first important scenes of the novel in which the reader begins to understand the tension between the black and white community occurs when Calpurnia, the servant-nanny of the main character, Scout and her brother Jem, take the children to church with her one Sunday. The need for liberty and justice is clear as the children and Calpurnia at first face the scorn of the black community for bringing the white children to their place of worship. You would continue to explore how the scene shows the presence of the main idea through quoted passages and explanations from the novel itself, from the critics perhaps and concluding with your own ideas. Example of incorporating a passage from text into your sentences: Charles Ryscamp in his article, “The New England Sources of The Scarlet Letter,” claims that the historical “factual” background of the novel has “been largely unnoticed” (191). It is because of this lack of awareness that the reader of The Scarlet Letter may not take Hawthorne’s invitation to “smile, but . . . not doubt [his] word” seriously at all (25). What is it therefore, that the reader needs in order to believe Hawthorne’s work is authentic if not entirely true? English Lit and Comp 102 Criterion for Evaluation of Research Papers Is the paper a researched essay on a clear and original topic and does it meet the required page length of 5-7 pages?10 pts. Is the paper carefully researched using 3-5 sources which are documented correctly and listed in a bibliography according to MLA style? 28pts. Does the paper contain an introductory paragraph which contains all the necessary information including a well written thesis? 26 pts. Do paragraphs contain topic sentences that support the theses and are the paragraphs well developed? 26pts. Is the essay free from grammar, mechanics, and spelling errors? 10pts English Comp 101 Annotated Bibliography An annotated bibliography is one in which you supply a 1 – 2 sentence summary of the contents and usefulness of each source contained in your research. An annotated bibliography is typically asked for as a “working bibliography” as well. A working bibliography is one in which you supply all your research sources whether or not they will appear in your final paper. You need to create this bibliography prior to writing the research paper in order to know how to key the source when it is integrated into your writing. Here are some examples of entries you would make in an annotated bibliography: Annotated Bibliography Caldwell, Taylor. Dear and Glorious Physician: A Novel About Saint Luke. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2008. Print. An historical novel about the life Saint Luke, who was a disciple of Christ. Helpful in gaining an understanding not just of the spiritual life of the man, but of the medicinal practices of the Greek and Roman Cultures as well as some ancient medical history of the Babylonian Civilization. Melville, Herman. Moby Dick: A Norton Critical Edition. Eds. Hershel Parker and Harrison Hayford. New York: Norton, 2002. Print. A critical edition containing not only the unabridged novel but contexts, criticisms and a bibliography as well. Particularly helpful in conducting a full study, from varying points of view of Melville’s masterpiece. Pinsker, Sanford. “The Scaffold as Hinge: A Note on the Structure of The Scarlet Letter.” College Literature 5 (1978): 144 -45. Academic Search Premier. Web. 6 June 2009. A short criticism of Hawthorne’s novel, The Scarlet Letter, in which the author explains/identifies the function and importance of the scaffold to the story’s structure. Helpful mostly for exploratory research as there is not too much information here.