• We are going to write the first part of the essay together so you can understand how it works
• You will finish the essay according to your observations and notes you have taken.

• First paragraph – Introduction
• Second paragraph – first argument
• Third paragraph – second argument
• Fourth paragraph – third argument
• Fifth paragraph - conclusion

• In the introduction, you provide a background to the text.
– Who wrote it?
– What is the name of the book?
– What is it generally about?
• Location
• Characters
• essential plot

• For example:
Agatha Christie wrote the novel And Then There
Were None, a murder mystery that takes place on
‘Soldier Island’ just off the English coastline. Ten people are invited to spend a week there but each has a past that is used to judge and accuse each one as guilty of murder. Mysteriously they begin to die one by one. Those who remain must figure out who the killer is before it is too late.

• In the second part of the introduction, you mention the thesis (argument) statement.
• This answers the essay question directly. It will relate specific techniques in the answer.

• Essay Question example: How does And Then
There Were None explore the theme of the administration of justice?
• Thesis Statement: Christie’s use of foreshadowing, symbols and allusion contribute to the novel’s exploration of the theme of the administration of justice.

Agatha Christie wrote the novel And Then There
Were None, a murder mystery that takes place on
‘Soldier Island’ just off the English coastline. Ten people are invited to spend a week there but each has a past that is used to judge and accuse each one as guilty of murder. Mysteriously they begin to die one by one. Those who remain must figure out who the killer is before it is too late. Christie’s use of foreshadowing, symbols and allusion contribute to the novel’s exploration of the theme of the administration of justice.

• The thesis statement breaks the essay down into a step-by-step easy to follow logical order.
• Let’s review the thesis statement… and show which different bits will be addressed in the different sections of an essay.

Christie’s use of foreshadowing, symbols and allusion contribute to the novel’s exploration of the theme of the administration of justice.
Argument #1 – foreshadowing
Argument #2 – symbols
Argument #3 – allusion

• First paragraph – Introduction
• Second paragraph – first argument
• Third paragraph – second argument
• Fourth paragraph – third argument
• Fifth paragraph - conclusion

• The first argument addresses the first technique mentioned in the thesis statement: foreshadowing.
• This argument occurs in the paragraph after the introduction.

• It includes three parts:
– A topic sentence which presents the argument.
– A few examples of foreshadowing in the novel.
Explain their effect. Tell the reader how they contribute to the theme.
– A concluding statement that draws together the evidence and refers to the topic sentence.

• The topic sentence restates the thesis but it only focuses on ONE of the three parts.
• Example: Christie uses foreshadowing to explore the theme of the administration of justice in And Then There Were None.
• This topic sentence captures the essential points – who (author), and what (what text, what technique, what theme).

• After the topic sentence, you introduce, explain and analyse your examples of
foreshadowing in particular.

• The process for finding and using examples:
1. I dentify the technique
2. D escribe examples or quote
3. E xplain the examples in context (otherwise they will remain quite meaningless) and/or how they may affect the reader.
4. A nalyse the examples in terms of theme – what overall message they support and what other background information supports this analysis.

• Essay structure and examples alone as proof demonstrate logical thought.
• The analysis of each example, when it includes additional background information from the story to justify the analysis, demonstrates you know the material well.
• Don’t simply quote several examples with one brief reference to theme. The analysis part is where you can get more points in year 11 & 12.

Identify
(technique
Describe
(examples/ quote)
Foreshadowing The Poem.
The first line:
“Ten little soldier boys went out to dine; One choked his little self and then there were nine.”
Explain
(context)
Analyse
(extra background information + theme)
The poem about the ten soldiers is a recurring motif which foreshadows how the deaths occur – some more precisely than others. The characters become aware of this as the ceramic soldiers in the dining room begin vanishing with each death and seek to discover who is the murderer. The poem refers to choking – and this is exactly the way
Tony Marston dies.
While there is some suggestion he committed suicide by drinking poison, it clashes with what they know of their character. His own
“crime” according to the grammar phone, is manslaughter and to this he has a callous attitude.
When others are murdered, it becomes clearer that his death just might be part of the murderer’s personal
administration of justice.

Christie typically places clues along the way that foreshadow the different deaths of the guests. The poem about the ten soldiers is a recurring motif which foreshadows how the deaths occur – some more precisely than others. The characters become aware of this as the ceramic soldiers in the dining room begin vanishing with each death and seek to discover who is the murderer. The poem refers to choking – and this is exactly the way Tony Marston dies. While there is some suggestion he committed suicide by drinking poison, it clashes with what they know of their character. His own
“crime” according to the grammar phone, is manslaughter and to this he has a callous attitude. When others are murdered, it becomes clearer that his death just might be part of the murderer’s personal administration of justice.

• Concluding statement:
• Use words like “therefore” and “clearly” and repeat the argument in the topic sentence.
• You can also refer back to elements in the examples.
• Basic example:
– Clearly, Christie has used foreshadowing to explore the theme of discovery.

• Now put all three sections together to make the paragraph:
– The topic sentence
– The examples (at least 3 or more)
– The concluding sentence

Christie uses foreshadowing to explore the theme of the administration of justice in And Then There Were None. Christie typically places clues along the way that foreshadow the different deaths of the guests. The poem about the ten soldiers is a recurring motif which foreshadows how the deaths occur – some more precisely than others. The characters become aware of this as the ceramic soldiers in the dining room begin vanishing with each death and seek to discover who is the murderer. The poem refers to choking – and this is exactly the way Tony Marston dies. While there is some suggestion he committed suicide by drinking poison, it clashes with what they know of their character. His own “crime” according to the grammar phone, is manslaughter and to this he has a callous attitude. When others are murdered, it becomes clearer that his death just might be part of the murderer’s personal administration of justice. [insert example 2],[insert example 3].
Clearly, Christie has used foreshadowing to explore the theme of the administration of justice.

• First paragraph – Introduction
• Second paragraph – first argument
• Third paragraph – second argument
• Fourth paragraph – third argument
• Fifth paragraph - conclusion

• It includes three parts:
– A topic sentence which presents the argument.
– A few examples of symbols in the novel. Explain their effect. Tell the reader how they contribute to the theme of.....
– A concluding statement that draws together the evidence and refers to the topic sentence.

• The topic sentence example:
– Christie uses symbols to explore the theme of
__________ in And Then There Were None.
• Describe, Explain, Analyse examples…
• Concluding sentence example:
– Clearly Christie has used symbols to explore the theme of ________ in And Then There Were None.

• It includes three parts:
– A topic sentence which presents the argument.
– A few examples of allusion in the novel. Explain their effect. Tell the reader how they contribute to the theme of __________.
– A concluding statement that draws together the evidence and refers to the topic sentence.

• The topic sentence example:
– Christie uses allusion to explore the theme of
___________ in And Then There Were None.
• Describe, Explain, Analyse examples…
• Concluding sentence example:
– Clearly Christie has used allusion to explore the theme of _________ in And Then There Were
None.

R.I.P.

• Use words like “clearly” and “therefore.”
• Restate the thesis more forcefully.
• Expand on this forceful restated thesis by summarising the overall ideas and analysis from each argument paragraph.
• If you are running out of time in an exam situation, simply restating the thesis for your conclusion as a quick way to finish.

• When you need to write an essay to a particular length, use lots of examples in each paragraph with good detailed explanations and analysis for each one.

• For example in a 1000 word essay:
– Introduction – 50 words
– First argument paragraph – 300 words
– Second argument paragraph – 300 words
– Third argument paragraph – 300 words
– Conclusion – 50 words