Priscilla Lindberg
Essay Organization REVIEW! Yay!
Hopefully, all of you worked on the writing process in your other sections. This sheet is designed as a review of that. You might notice I use different phrases or explain a concept a bit differently than your previous teacher. But I think you’ll all be able to adjust.
Writing Organization
 There are 3 parts to an essay: introduction, body, conclusion
 Just like the entire essay has three parts, so can we break each part of the essay into
3’s.
Introduction (Sorry, this might have 3 or 4 parts, depending on your style)
 1) Hook: get the reader’s attention by introducing us broadly to the themes of the essay. The hook is NOT specific to the essay exactly. Let’s look at our “Beast” essays from QI and Lord of the Flies: “Fear is a primal, dominating force that can influence people to commit the most horrific acts.” >> You will note I have not mentioned the book or the exact purpose of my essay.
 2) Premise: explain the setting of the work of literature, author, genre, maybe year of publication. Example: “The 1954 novel Lord of the Flies written by William
Golding, tells the story of a group of English school boys who crash land on an island in the Pacific. They are left to fend for themselves with no adult supervision and must learn how to create their own version of civilization or die trying.” >> You will note I have given no thesis, nor told you what I was doing yet. However, in this intro,
I will make it clear what the Beast IS. I would make this explanation part of the premise.
 3) THESIS – A thesis is an ARGUMENT! It is not an opinion, it is not your “idea,” it is not an interesting thought you had drift across your mind. It is an argument that you must PROVE with evidence from the text. If you cannot prove what you are saying with evidence from the text, then you do not have a thesis. Example: “The Beast is used by Golding as a symbol to represent the fear of barbarity that resides within each of us, just below the fragile surface of civilization.” >> I am CLAIMING this to be a truth of the text. I am arguing this is so. And I will prove it you, you’re darn tootin’!
 4) Organizing Sentence (Some people are clever and can roll 3 and 4 into one sentence. It is perfectly fine to separate this out): This is a sentence which tells the reader what you will do to prove your thesis. You will tell the reader exactly what you are going to show in your essay. NO SURPRISES! Example: “By examining the reaction of the boys to the littluns’ fear, the relationship between Simon and the
Lord of the Flies, and finally the tragic murder of Piggy, we will see that the Beast represents the very Fear that each child worked so hard to repress – the fear of the barbarity within them.”

 The body of your essay is made up of paragraphs which analyze the evidence you are using to prove your thesis.
Body
 Every paragraph has a topic sentence. This is usually the first sentence (sometimes the second sentence, oddly enough) that does NOT recount plot. It establishes the
main idea of your paragraph.
 Quote Sandwiches: this is my own name for how to analyze quotes. It works like this:
 Top part of Quote Sandwich: Introduce quote by giving context. Example: “Simon, already set apart by his odd, introverted behavior, has wandered away from the group to seclude himself in the private glade. He has recently witnessed Jack’s slaughter of the sow and while observing the bloody, decapitated head, hallucinates a conversation. He believes to hear the sow, transformed into The Lord of the Flies, reprimand him:”
 Meat of the Sandwich is the Quote: “You knew, didn't you? I'm part of you? Close, close, close! I'm the reason why it's no go? Why things are what they are?” (101).
 Bottom part of the Quote Sandwich: This is actually the most important part of your paragraph. You need to analyze the quote! This is a point of evidence to prove your argument! Example: “It is clear that Simon, though in a compromised mental state, has encountered the truth behind the rabid fear on the island. The “Beast” is nothing more than the fear residing within these adolescent boys cut off from the safety of civilization. The Lord of the Flies interrogates Simon and presses him to confront the truth that he insists Simon already knew, that the source of the group’s disintegration is actually themselves.”
 You will note that I did not just “explain” the quote, I analyzed it. I interpreted the quote in order to use it to help prove my argument. If all you do is “explain” the quote, or paraphrase it, then it doesn’t count. It’s useless! Your job is to convince us of the validity of the evidence.
 Hopefully, you will also note my use of lively, active verbs. These verbs are descriptive. They are not variations of “to be.” Observe: “interrogates, presses, encountered, residing, confront, insist.”

Conclusion
 Restate thesis – try to reword it.
 Remind reader how you proved thesis – brief review of the evidence you used.
 Answer the “So What?” question – this is the last part and it mirrors your hook. It gives the reader a reason to care about the themes raised in your essay. It “zooms out” and gives the audience a perspective to reflect upon. It’s your last chance to make the reader care about your argument.