Breaking Night Theme Essay
Overview: Skilled athletes work very hard to perform at a high level. They train individually, practice
with their teams, compete against others, assess their performances, and consult with their peers and
coaches. To do their best, athletes must repeat this process again and again.
Skilled writers also follow a process. For specific projects, they gather and organize their thoughts
(prewriting), connect their ideas on paper (writing), make changes as needed (revising and editing),
and assess and share their finished copy (publishing). To do their best work, writers must address
these steps for each piece they develop.
“What is written without effort is in general read without pleasure.”
- Dr. Samuel Johnson
Your Mission: You will use the writing process in order to write a five-paragraph essay (introduction,
three body paragraphs, and a conclusion) analyzing a universal theme from Breaking Night. You will
incorporate ideas from your novel, non-fiction pieces and other sources into your writing to help
support your claim/theme. This assignment will help you build some valuable writing habits.
Step One: Prewriting
Select a topic, find a theme, gather supporting evidence
Step One: Prewriting
The first step in the writing process involves selecting a specific topic, gathering details
about it, and organizing those details into a writing plan.
Step Two: Writing
During this step, the writer completes the first draft using the prewriting plan as a guide.
This draft is a writer’s first chance to get everything on paper.
Step Three: Revising
During revising, the writer first reviews the draft for five key traits; ideas, organization,
voice, word choice, and sentence fluency. After deciding what changes to make, the writer
deletes, moves, adds to, and rewrites parts of the text.
Step Four: Editing
Then the writer edits the revised draft for the conventions of punctuation, capitalization,
spelling, and grammar. A writer should also proofread the final copy before sharing it.
Step Five: Publishing
This is the final step in the writing process. Publishing is the writer’s opportunity to share
his or her work with others.
Analyzing a Theme
This composition requires you to analyze a theme that occurs in Breaking Night. Using your comprehension of the novel,
develop a relevant theme.
A theme is the meaning or concept we are left with after reading a piece of fiction. Theme is an answer to the question,
"What did you learn from this?" The theme of a story is not the same as its topic. The topic is simply the subject of a story.
The theme makes some revelation about the topic. A theme is always a statement; thus it must always be something that
can be expressed in at least one sentence. Example: a topic is war, but a theme might be “all’s fair in love and war.”
When writing your theme, you will create a claim or thesis statement for your essay.
Example of Theme/Thesis Statement: In The Outsiders, S.E. Hinton shows that regardless of socioeconomic status, all
humans share the same desire to belong.
Your Theme/Thesis Statement (rough draft): Follow the structure of the above example (book title and author included)
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
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_________________________________________________________________________________________
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Gather and Organize the Details
Find and document quotes from the book that support the focus of each paragraph. Review and, if necessary, revise your
quotation selections to adequately support your claim/thesis.
Thesis Statement: (claim)
Body Paragraph 1 (example of
theme):
Quote that explains or shows example
of theme in MLA format (evidence)
How does this event prove your
thesis? (warrant)
Body Paragraph 2 (example of
theme):
Quote that explains or shows example
of theme in MLA format (evidence)
How does this event prove your
thesis? (warrant)
Body Paragraph 3 (example of
theme):
Quote that explains or shows example
of theme in MLA format (evidence)
How does this event prove your
thesis? (warrant)
Conclusion (how does this all fit together? So what?):
Please be sure to keep track of your sources as you are working through your paper. You will
need to create a Works Cited page which will include all the information about your sources.
Step Two: Writing
Writing an Introductory Paragraph

Remember the introductory paragraph serves three purposes and should follow ANT:
o A- Attention Getter: First sentence or two should gain the attention of the reader
 Try the following ways to gain attention
 Provide an interesting story or anecdote about the subject
 Present a startling or unusual generalization about the subject
 Relevant quote from a well-known person (not from the book)
 Fact or statistic (try using a fact from one of the non-fiction pieces)
o N- Necessary Information: Include the following information

Author’s full name

Title of the story in italics and capitalized

Brief plot summary (Because you are writing on a book you should briefly summarize the story in
the introductory paragraph. Stick to the main ideas and not small plot points.)
o T- Thesis: The last sentence of your introduction should be your thesis statement
Writing Body Paragraphs
Your body paragraphs should provide a topic sentence. The rest of the paragraph should provide context for a quote or
a paraphrase example. Then you should provide that example. After you provide that example, you should explain how it
supports your thesis statement.
Body Paragraph One:
Topic sentence (restate the theme)/ Introduce theme in relation to the novel by telling what’s happening in the
book at that point. (Example: “At the beginning of The Outsiders, Cherry and Ponyboy- two characters from
clashing social groups- bond and find a sense of belonging through their love for literature.”)
Quote #1 from book (begin with “For example, when…”)
Analyze/explain how the quote supports your claim or shows your theme in a few (or more) sentences
Conclusion/transition sentence to wrap up ideas in this paragraph and/or start connecting ideas to the next
paragraph
Body Paragraph Two:
Topic sentence stating another example from the book where the theme is portrayed
Quote #2 from book (begin with “For example, when…”)
Analyze/explain how the quote supports your claim or shows your theme in a few (or more) sentences
Conclusion/transition sentence to wrap up ideas in this paragraph and/or start connecting ideas to the next
paragraph
Body Paragraph Three:
Topic sentence stating another example from the book where the theme is portrayed
Quote #3 from book (begin with “For example, when…”)
Analyze/explain how the quote supports your claim or shows your theme in a few (or more) sentences
Conclusion/transition sentence to wrap up ideas in this paragraph and/or start connecting ideas to conclusion
Conclusion:
• You may want to start the beginning of your conclusion with a signal word (ex. Thus, therefore, in short, as one can see,
etc.). For example: “As one can see, no matter how much money someone has or where they come from, the desire to
belong is part of the human experience.”
• Re-read your first body paragraph. Summarize the ideas of the paragraph in one or two sentences and include it in your
conclusion.
• Re-read your second body paragraph. Summarize the ideas of the paragraph in one or two sentences and include it in
your conclusion.
• Re-read your third body paragraph. Summarize the ideas of the paragraph in one or two sentences and include it in your
conclusion.
• Use the last one or two sentences of your conclusion to answer the question “so what?” What are people supposed to
learn, understand, do, think about, etc. Tell the reader why the author’s use of this theme is significant. Focus on how
universal the theme is and how it can apply to different people and times.
Works Cited:
• Put on a separate page at the end of your essay.
• Put in correct MLA format just as follows: (indent the second line only)
Author’s Last Name, First Name. Title of book including the subtitle in italics. City of Publication: Publisher, Year of
Publication. Medium of Publication.
Step Three: Revising
1. Read your first draft slowly and critically. Revising is not the same as editing for conventions. Remember that
when revising, you should look at the ideas presented.
2. Be sure to include a title for your paper. It should be something catchier than the very dull “Theme Analysis
Essay.” It should relate to your theme!
3. Ask at least one other person to review your writing and give you suggestions.
4. Make as many changes as necessary to improve your writing.
Step Four: Editing
1. Check for errors in punctuation, capitalization, spelling and grammar. *Read your paper out loud! This will help
you to catch errors! In a formal essay, you need to be sure to use only third person. This means no first or second
person pronouns (I, me, we, you).
2. Have at least one other person check your writing for errors.
3. Prepare a neat final copy in MLA format
first-page header with your name and due date in the upper right corner of the paper
Title of paper centered after first-page header
1” margins
Times New Roman size 12 font
Double-spaced
Works Cited page
4. Proofread the final copy before turning it in.
Step Five: Publishing
1. Share your writing with friends, classmates, and family.
2. Submit your final essay to your teacher!
Contemporary Literature
Breaking Night Theme Analysis Essay
Student:_____________________________
Intro Para with
theme/thesis
______/100 x 5
A
Excellent
B
Good Job
C
Average
D
Weak
Solid attention
grabber. Smooth
transition. Brief plot
summary. Wellstructured thesis
statement.
Attention grabber
could be better, weak
transition, plot
summary, thesis is
fairly clear.
Attempt at getting
attention, abrupt
transition, vague
plot summary, or a
hint of a weakly
worded thesis.
No attempt at
getting
attention, no plot
summary and
thesis is weak or
not there.
Clear topic sentence. 1
quote provided with
thorough explanation
and analysis. MLA
format is perfect.
Development of theme
is thorough.
Topic Sentence is there.
1 quote is provided
but may not be a
good choice or is
confusing. MLA format
has 2 or fewer errors.
Development of theme
is not very thorough.
Weak topic
sentence. 1 quote
is provided but
not developed.
Quotes not in MLA
format. Need
clearer
connections.
Areas for Improvement
Introduction
Selection of Evidence
Critical Analysis
Development of Ideas
Conclusion
Spelling
Body Para. 1
Body Para. 2
Article provided
Clear topic sentence. 1
quote provided with
thorough explanation
and analysis. MLA
format is perfect.
Development of theme
is thorough.
Topic Sentence is there.
1 quote is provided
but may not be a
good choice or is
confusing. MLA format
has 2 or fewer errors.
Development of theme
is not very thorough.
Clear topic sentence. 1
quote provided with
thorough explanation
and analysis. MLA
format is perfect.
Development of theme
is thorough.
Topic Sentence is there.
1 quote is provided
but may not be a
good choice or is
confusing. MLA format
has 2 or fewer errors.
Development of theme
is not very thorough.
Summarizes main
points and strongly
connects back to the
theme. Ends with strong
“so what” statement.
Summarizes some main
points, states thesis
exactly. “So what”
statement is there, but
weak/confusing.
No topic
sentence or
confusing. No
quote. Vague
connection to
theme.
Grammar
Sentence Structure
Voice
Organization and Flow
Incorporating Quotes
Parenthetical Citations
MLA format
Weak topic
sentence. 1 quote
is provided but
not developed.
Quotes not in MLA
format. Need
clearer
connections.
No topic
sentence or
confusing. No
quote. Vague
connection to
theme.
Works Cited Format
Automatic Deductions
No title
No works cited page
Body Para. 3
Article selected
Conclusion
Works Cited
No errors.
No topic
sentence or
confusing. No
quote. Vague
connection to
theme.
Vague summary
or too short,
struggles with
connection to
theme. No “so
what” statement.
Does not
summarize main
points nor
connect back to
the theme. No
“so what”
statement.
One error.
Two errors.
Three errors or
more.
Only minor errors.
Quite a few errors
- some might
hinder
understanding.
Significant
errors that
interfere with
understanding.
Grammar
Punctuation
Spelling
No errors.
included
Weak topic
sentence. 1 quote
is provided but
not developed.
Quotes not in MLA
format. Need
clearer
connections.
Multiple errors in MLA
format
Use of first or second
person
Quotations not introduced
No parenthetical citations
Less than five paragraphs
Late paper
Plagiarism (No credit for
assignment)