Thematic Essay – Writing Your Essay’s Introduction
The key to a good essay, aside from good analysis, is a good introduction. A good
introduction has an inviting, thought-provoking hook to gather the reader’s attention, a
solid link to the literature that you are studying, and a well-organized thesis statement.
You introduction paragraph will contain three (3) things:
 A hook
 A link to the story you are working with
 A thesis statement
So for the sake of example, suppose that I am writing a thematic essay on Collier’s “The
Chaser.” My theme would be:
Real love is realized when one is mature enough to let it grow naturally.
STEP 1: HOOK
As I prepare to write my hook, I would ask myself the following questions based on my
theme:
 Did I ever have a relationship where things were rushed?
 Even though it was difficult, what happened for me to learn something?
 Generally, what value is there to loving someone?
Now, each question is specific to my theme. The answer, then, could be used as my
hook. For example, an answer to the second question:
My wife and I have been married for almost five years, and it seemed that during
the summer we were married, many of our friends got hitched, too. There were
seemed to be many weddings that summer, all of them ending the way ours did:
with the bride and groom walking hand and hand into the sunset. Fast-forward five
years, we are one of the few couples who are still together, whose relationship grows
stronger every day. Out of our friends who married that summer, we are the only
ones still married. Seemingly, our friends rushed into relationships that they
weren’t ready for or didn’t really want, and now their lawyers are the ones who are
benefitting.
Okay, laugh if you want, but it’s the truth. But the point is that it hopefully catches your
attention. Picture me in a tuxedo – quite a sight. .
STEP 2: LINK HOOK TO STORY
Now that I have my hook written, I need to connect it to the story. To do so, I need to
ask the following questions:
 How is what I learned in my hook similar to what happens in the story the
story?
 What idea do my hook and the story have in common?
An answer to the second question:
The idea of being ready for love is the basis of John Collier’s brilliant short story,
“The Chaser.”
Easy, huh? All you need to do is explain the connection between your hook and the story
itself.
STEP 3: THESIS
I know I don’t have to explain what a thesis statement is or how to put one together at
this point. So, for example:
Through his brilliant use of character development, conflict and allusion, Collier
conveys the idea that real love is realized when one is mature enough to let it grow
naturally.
Please notice that I have omitted the title of the story in my thesis because I already state
it in my connection of the hook to the story!!!
STEP 4: FINAL PRODUCT
Put it all together:
My wife and I have been married for almost five years, and it seemed that during
the summer we were married, many of our friends got hitched, too. There were
seemed to be many weddings that summer, all of them ending the way ours did:
with the bride and groom walking hand and hand into the sunset. Fast-forward five
years, we are one of the few couples who are still together, whose relationship grows
stronger every day. Out of our friends who married that summer, we are the only
ones still married. Seemingly, our friends rushed into relationships that they
weren’t ready for or didn’t really want, and now their lawyers are the ones who are
benefitting. The idea of being ready for love is the basis of John Collier’s brilliant
short story, “The Chaser.” Through his brilliant use of character development,
conflict and allusion, Collier conveys the idea that real love is realized when one is
mature enough to let it grow naturally.
ASSIGNMENT
Develop your introduction to your theme essay. You may write it here, or you may
include it on the paper that contains your analysis paragraphs. Each partner is to write
one. You will eventually compare your to your partners’ and choose the best one.