How to Write an Essay
Without driving yourself crazy
Essay Subjects leading to topics for
a compare and contrast essay on
Our Twisted Hero and Lord of the
Flies:power, masculinity, cultures
and their rules, order and disorder,
negative behaviors and influences,
leadership, peer pressure, bullying,
coming of age, self-discovery.
Brainstorming
• Good website
bubbl.us for blank
brainstorming
template
Human characteristics
power
masculinity
The temporary triumph of brute force
Jack
Om Sokdae
The Thesis
Must be debatable
Must be one sentence
Must be at the end of the opening paragraph
Must connect to the meaning of the work as
a whole
Example: Brute physical and emotional
force, while effective in the short term, will
eventually fail, but often with deep
psychological consequences.
The Opening Paragraph
Title
Hook
Broad Discussion
Introduction of
author, work,
time period
Thesis
statement
Broad Discussion
• In all cultures brutal forces attain leadership causing
havoc and pain to ordinary citizens. For example,
supported only by a small minority of the citizens of
Syria, President al-Assad brutality represses the majority
with his military and police forces. President Obama
says he is “standing in the way” of democracy. Yet, he
remains confident of his continuing rule. However,
history cannot be on his side, and eventually the power
of the majority will prevail. One wonders why these
leaders capture power and why others help and support
their actions. In literature there are many examples of
text demonstrating these aggressive, repressive men.
For example, two novels, Lord of the Flies and Our
Twisted Hero, both show antagonists subjegating others
to their iron rule, abetted by enforcers who identify with
the leader.
Transition to Paper-Identify
Authors, Titles, synopsis
• For example, two novels, Lord of the Flies
and Our Twisted Hero, both show
antagonists subjugating others to their iron
rule, abetted by enforcers who identify with
the leader. In Lord of the Flies by Golding,
a group of boys abandoned on a island
fight for control, and in Our Twisted Hero,
a new student does battle with a class
monitor who exercises total control over
the students.
Debatable thesis
• The Korean novel shows the fall of the
oppressor, while Lord of the Flies indicates
the oppressor winning; however, a close
reading concludes that while force may
win temporarily, ultimately those
oppressed will prevail.
Elements of the Opening Paragraph
•The Hook: statistic, anecdote, quotation, or (not in
this class) question
“A good leader inspires people to have confidence
in the leader, a great leader inspires people to have
confidence in themselves-Anon.”
•Transition word or phrase to Broad Discussion, which
is defined as a general discussion leading into the
text.
How to Write a Compare and
Contrast Essay-two types:
• Point to point
Embedded Quotation
Early in the novel, Om Sokdae’s regime is
characterized as brutal, “ He slapped the
boy. . .made him kneel …with his arms
raised” describes the punishment he
meted out for a minor infraction (14).
Body Paragraphs
• Topic Sentence
• Quote
• Explication
– Identify any literary devices