Begin with
a “hook” –
a sentence
that grabs
the reader’s
attention
Explain
allegory.
Conclude
with a
thesis.
Higgins/Wood
English II
Sample Introduction: Lord of the Flies
Hitler. Stalin. Mussolini. History is rich with examples of individuals who
embody the qualities of evil. In the novel Lord of the Flies, William Golding
crafts a fictional character, Roger, who is just as evil as these real-life
historical figures. In the beginning of the novel, Roger has nasty thoughts
about other characters on the island, but does not act on them. As Jack
comes to take control of the island, however, Roger becomes increasingly
violent. By the end of the novel, he has evolved into a pure murderer.
Golding deepens the reader’s understanding of Roger’s descent into
savagery by presenting him as a symbol in the book’s Freudian, political,
and religious allegories - stories that have both literal and symbolic
meanings.. Golding’s use of allegory in Jack suggests that people who allow
their primitive impulses to control them will ultimately turn into savages.
Include
T.A.G. –
title,
author, and
genre
Include a
short
description
of the
character.
An important part of stories is the author’s tone of voice.
Tone is the attitude conveyed by the author through word choice,
use of figurative language, and imagery.
State the topic and define the literary term.
This is valuable because the most important part of a story is the
feeling that the author creates in his or her reader. It is emotion
that leads people to think deeply about an issue.
Use a because statement to explain why the term
is important.
In “Welcome to the Monkey House” Kurt Vonnegut warns his
readers that their individual freedoms are in danger. He uses his
language to convey this message.
Set up the quotation by naming the title and
the author.
For instance, his tone in the following sentence shows how the
beauty and emotion of sexuality can be reduced to a sterile and
joyless rape:
Tell the reader what the quote will show before
presenting it.
“He deflowered her with a clinical skill she found ghastly” (47).
Be sure to use quotation marks and put the page
number in parentheses.
The word choice “deflowered” indicates the author’s dismay over
the lack of romance. Also, “clinical skill” makes the encounter
into a medical procedure. It is through this use of tone that the
author expresses the true meaning of his story – the reader should
be worried about losing freedom and pleasure to overcontrolling
government
Interpret how the quote relates to your topic
statement. Comment on a subsection of the quote.
In your closing sentence, mention the literary term
again.