First Impressions and
Final Thoughts
WS 4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

First Paragraphs
Response to Literature
ATTENTION GRABBER
Next two (at least) sentences must be background about the novel or author
Two arguable prongs

Strategies
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1. The Outside Connection
•
2. The Global Statement
•
3. Using a Quote
•
4. An Anecdote
•
5. The Straw Man
•
6. The Dramatic Fact.
Wait? Isn’t there one missing?

What about using a Question?
• DON’T DO THIS - EVER!
•
Usually the question is not answered
•
Sometimes it even includes second person:
•
Ex: Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be lonely? In Of Mice and Men
…
•
Also, do not use a command:
Imagine, being the only one left on earth.

Strategy #1:
The Outside Connection
•
Starts with broad statement about a theme that relates to your thesis
• Give example from literature, author’s life, or other history that relates to this theme.
• Don’t connect to pop culture or anything that seems out of character
•
Transition into your thesis clearly to avoid confusing the reader.

Transition
Thesis
The Outside Connection
Example:
Broad Theme
The mentor archetype spans from
Greek epics to modern novels. In To
Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee,
Scout matures into a well-rounded young woman due to the influence of several guiding figures. In This
Other Novel , Mentor teaches
Protagonist that…

Strategy #2:
Global Statement
•
Start with a broad statement and then narrow toward your thesis.
•
Similar setup to Outside Connection.
•
Very versatile – works in a variety of situations.
• Don’t be too broad or vague.

Broad
Narrowing
More
Narrowing
Thesis
Global Statement
Example:
•
For generations, parents, religion, and schools have had a monopoly on morality.
From these three sources, children traditionally acquired their ideas about what is right and wrong, which goals are important in life, and how other should be treated.
Today, the media has become another powerful force influencing young people.
Television is implanting in children negative values about sex, work, and family life.

Strategy #3:
Using a Quote
•
Always include a lead (TLQ) into the quote as well as a citation.
•
Avoid quoting the literature that the essay will be about – quote a famous speaker or another novel.

Using a Quote
Example:
Lead into
Quote
Noted philosopher Aristotle once said, “Man, when perfected, is the best of animals, but when separated from law and justice, he is the worst of all.”
Without societal controls that regulate behavior, there is nothing in this world more dangerous than human beings. In William Golding’s novel Lord of the Flies ,
Transition the schoolboys on the island have been released from the tether of civilization and are about to discover their
Thesis own propensity for evil. The worst of them is Jack, the head choir boy, who changes from…

Strategy #4:
Anecdote
•
A brief story that relates to your thesis, no more than a few sentences.
• Unless it’s a personal essay, no first person.

Using an Anecdote
Anecdote
Transition
Thesis
Example:
•
At a Michigan high school, the student body nominated Whitney Kropp, an awkward sophomore, for Homecoming Court. Without considering the humiliation that she might feel or how the town would react, Whitney’s classmates congratulated themselves not only on their sense of humor but their ability to pull off a coordinated prank.
The students’ actions illustrate the cruelty that a large group can inflict on a single, vulnerable individual. In William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, the schoolboys, stranded on a deserted island, prey upon Piggy, who has been made a scapegoat for many of the same reasons.
Piggy discovers that…

•
Strategy #5:
Straw Man
Begin with an idea that is the opposite of your true position.
Then prove it wrong.
•
Be sure to clearly transition from the false idea to your true position!

Using Straw Man
Example:
False
• People hear a great deal about divorce’s disastrous impact on children. They are bombarded with advice on how to make divorce as painless as
False
To
True possible for their offspring, and numerous heartbreaking stories about the confused, grieving children of divorced parents abound. Little attention has been paid, however, to a different effect that divorce may have on young people, for children of divorced parents may become skilled manipulators, playing off one parent against the other, worsening an already painful situation. In
Making Them Pay
, a novel by…

Strategy #6:
Dramatic Fact or Statistic
•
Works best on research papers, persuasive essays, etc.
•
Not very useful for response to literature.
•
Be sure to have a reputable source and cite it.

Using Dramatic Fact
Example:
In a poll conducted by columnist Ann
Landers, seventy percent of the respondents stated that, if they could live their lives over, they would choose not to have children. This startling statistic makes one wonder what kind of experience these people thought parenthood would be. Though parents want their children to share their values, follow their paths, and succeed where they failed, most parents also have unrealistic expectations for their children. In My Daughter, the Rocket
Scientist
, the autobiography of…

Then, think backward .
Does your thesis remind you of something, spark an idea?
Which strategy will work best?

RESPONSE TO LITERATURE
• Lead the reader from your attention grabber to your THESIS STATEMENT.
• For an essay about a piece of literature, write 2 sentences about the literature and/or the author.
• End your Essay Introduction with your
THESIS STATEMENT.
• That’s a total of at least 4 sentences.

Final Thoughts

Concluding Paragraph
•
Restate thesis in different words.
•
Reflect upon or extend what was already stated in the body of the essay or the hook.
•
Make predictions about the topic.
Then…

Concluding Paragraph
•
Restate thesis in different words.
•
Reflect upon or extend what was already stated in the body of the essay or the hook.
•
Make predictions about the topic.
•
Include a universal statement, like a reverse global statement.
•
Last sentence should be insightful.

Concluding Paragraph
Last Sentence
The last sentence is largely dependent on the hook in the opening paragraph.
Imagine this is your VEHICLE. Try to exit the same car in which you started your journey.

Final Thoughts
THINK about what you WRITE!
• That means if it sounds lame, don’t write it!
•
Does what you wrote add value?
•
Does it relate directly back to the thesis?
•
Does it relate to the topic sentence?
•
Is the topic sentence arguable?

Final Thoughts:
•
Too much of ANYTHING gets BORING.
•
That means the same word, phrasing, sentence beginning, hook, TLQ, or anything else for that matter.
•
Variety is the key.

THE MOST IMPORTANT
WRITING RULE!

For More Writing Info…
•
Check out The Elements of Style by Strunk and White. It is a 90 page book that provides a great foundation for college-level writing expectations.

CLASS ASSIGNMENT
1.
In groups of four, you will be creating an opening paragraph using one of the six strategies.
2.
Working as a group, you will be given a thesis statement and you will do the rest.
3.
Each group will recite their paragraph to the class. The class will “vote” and changes will be made.
4.
Each group will write their finished paragraph in their journal.

•
1. The Outside Connection
•
2. The Global Statement
•
3. Using a Quote
•
4. An Anecdote
•
5. The Straw Man
•
6. The Dramatic Fact.
Remember to include the author, the book, and detail about the book in the transition sentences!
THESIS STATEMENT
As chief of the tribe, Ralph is responsible for
Jack’s violent behavior because of his indecisiveness and his fear of losing control.