Name: Isabel Moerbe
Response Outline
Resources: “The Necklace” and “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that can’t
Stop Talking”
Prompt: How important is our outward appearance?
Introduction: A lot of people argue whether or not outward appearance really matters
in the end of it all. In matters of respect, first impressions, and how others see you.
Does it matter at all? Or is it the personality that matters.
Thesis: Give your statement
I think that initially, our outward appearance does matter in regards to first impressions
and a matter of respect.
Paragraph: Use “The Necklace” and specific quotes to strengthen your argument.
“ She was distressed at the poverty of her dwelling, at the bareness of the walls,
at the shabby chairs, the ugliness of the curtains. All those things, of which
another woman of her rank would never even have been conscious, tortured her
and made her angry.” This quote shows how upset she is about her appearance
of being poor. She wants to appear as if she has everything in the world.
“She would have liked so much to please, to be envied, to be charming, to be
sought after.” This shows that she cares about her outward appearance only and
not how she feels on the inside. She doesn’t care about herself on the inside but
only how she looks to other people.
“She was prettier than any other woman present, elegant, graceful, smiling and
wild with joy.” She was happy with how she presented herself to others but she
didn’t feel the same way as them.
Paragraph: Use “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that can’t Stop Talking”
“Once he’d been a lowly farm boy with a bleak future, but he developed a
charismatic speaking style and took the stage at Chautauqua.” This quote shows
me that you as a person can change. In this story it focuses more on the inner
personality rather than the outward looks.
“He signs up for every contest and rushes home at night to practice. Again and
again he loses.” Dale doesn’t care about how he looks because every time he
participates in a contest he gets more experience of public speaking.
“The new economy calls for a new kind of man—a salesman, a social operator,
someone with a ready smile, a masterful handshake, and the ability to get along
with colleagues while simultaneously outshining them.” This quote shows that
Dale's outward appearance is a reflection of his inside personality. He worked
hard to get where he was recognizable and he wasn’t just a facade.
Conclusion: Wrap it up and make connections.
I believe that outward appearance is only important if it is a reflection of who you really
are as a person. In ‘The Necklace’, Mathilde wanted to appear as if she was wealthy
when in reality she was not. In ‘Quiet’, Dale worked hard and made his mark in the
business industry as a spokesperson and entrepreneur by becoming that and not just
changing how people see him, but himself as a whole.