“Allegory of the Cave” and The Matrix
Essay Outline
Directions: In a well-developed essay, examine what “Allegory of the Cave” and The Matrix say about the subjects
of ignorance, knowledge, and enlightenment. These subjects should be the basis of your thesis.
Pay particular attention to the journey presented in each story as a symbolic vision of the attainment of
knowledge. However, consider not only the journey of each story but also the structure/setting of both the
allegory and the movie in supporting your thesis.
The essay should be progressive in that the paper builds from the first body paragraph to the third body
paragraph. Each of your paragraphs should address both works and how they relate to your thesis. In other
words, do not address each work separately but combine the ideas from each work to make your point.
The essay will be due on Tuesday, September 22nd. Please use the outline to structure your essay. Consider the
two quotations as a minimum—you can certainly use more pieces of textual evidence, but do not use any less.
Opener:______________________________________________________________________________________
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Connection/Bridge:_____________________________________________________________________________
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Thesis/Preview:_______________________________________________________________________________
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Body Paragraph #1 Topic
Sentence:_____________________________________________________________________________________
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Contextualized and Blended
Evidence/Quote:_______________________________________________________________________________
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Analysis:_____________________________________________________________________________________
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Contextualized and Blended
Evidence/Quote:_______________________________________________________________________________
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Analysis:_____________________________________________________________________________________
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Body Paragraph #2 Topic
Sentence:_____________________________________________________________________________________
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Contextualized and Blended
Evidence/Quote:_______________________________________________________________________________
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Analysis:_____________________________________________________________________________________
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Contextualized and Blended
Evidence/Quote:_______________________________________________________________________________
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Analysis:_____________________________________________________________________________________
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Body Paragraph #3 Topic
Sentence:_____________________________________________________________________________________
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Contextualized and Blended
Evidence/Quote:_______________________________________________________________________________
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Analysis:_____________________________________________________________________________________
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Contextualized and Blended
Evidence/Quote:_______________________________________________________________________________
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Analysis:_____________________________________________________________________________________
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Conclusion:
Restate the thesis – don’t repeat it!
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Summary of the 3 body paragraphs:
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Concluding statement that connects your thesis/ideas to society today:
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Closer—say something about the quote you opened with and relate it to what you wrote about in the essay:
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