Intro Paragraph
Summer Novel Character Analysis Essay
Your intro paragraph has three basic parts:
1. An interesting hook
2. An explanation of the main conflict (basic plot summary)
3. A (general) thesis statement about the main character
An interesting hook:
Start with a statement that may shock or entice the reader about the main
character.
 Dr. David Henry made a split second decision that would forever
change his life: he chose to give away his infant daughter and tell
his wife that she had died.
 Pi Patel stared deeply into the eyes of the tiger with whom he
was stranded on a life boat.
Think of it as the first words/images on a movie trailer. You want the reader to
keep reading, not make a last second run for some popcorn.
An explanation of the main conflict:
Don’t try to summarize the entire plot, it will be too long. Instead, focus on
the main conflict or problem in the novel.
Answer these questions:
1. What is the main conflict?
2. How does the conflict begin?
3. List the 2-3 most important events related to the conflict.
3. A general thesis statement about the main character.
A thesis statement should be arguable.
Your thesis statement should not be too similar to the topic sentence of your
main paragraph.
An example (or two):
By facing his decision and the consequences of it, David Henry changes
and the man he becomes is far from the man he began the story as.
As Pi acclimates to his situation, and overcomes this great challenge, he
turns out to be strong and full of wisdom, despite his young age.
Write your thesis statement on the lines below: