THE EXPOSITORY INTRODUCTION
“The roots of education are bitter, but the fruits are sweet.” ~Aristotle
Knowing that Aristotle was credited with the founding of the world’s first
“university,” one might completely understand why he would say, “The roots of
education are bitter, but the fruits are sweet.” Moreover, what he says seems
pretty profound, especially the figurative meaning. However, literally speaking,
one might look at this from the level of consumption. For instance, if one eats a
root, one might find that most roots taste bitter. Because of that, the
experience could be rather unpleasant. On the other hand, if one eats fruits,
one might find that most fruits are sweet; so, the experience is enjoyable. As a
result, figuratively speaking, Aristotle seems to suggest that, as one is immersed
in the process of education it might not be a very pleasurable experience;
however, over time, the experience might yield some beneficial or pleasurable
results. Consequently, I think there’s a lot of truth in this, especially when
considering how it would relate to both my life and the story of a collection of
friends from the ghettos of New Jersey, called The Pact.
Be sure to:
1. Introduce the quote.
2. Explain, in some specific detail, what the quote means.
3. Assert your position; provide specific focus for the body.
Expository Body Paragraph: The Personal Connection
In high school, I was not a very good math student. One thing that I
found particularly challenging was the subject, Algebra. Because of this, it
would often take me a long time to complete any of the homework; and, I
would have to work really hard in order to do well on tests. I can even
remember falling asleep on my textbook, some nights, because I was
struggling so long trying to figure out some of the concepts. It got to a
point that my frustrations got the best of me; the education was certainly
“bitter.” Rather than diligently do my homework, I found something to
do with my friends. Rather than study for the tests, I would just “wing it.”
So, it did not surprise me when I saw the words, “Sean, you are failing,”
written on a test that I had failed at the end of one marking period. Sure
enough, I did end up failing. And, that was a wake-up call because I
hadn’t failed anything, before. As a result, I returned to my old ways of
staying up late to complete homework and doing extra problems to
prepare for tests. I even started to attend some tutoring sessions with my
teacher. All in all, these habits paid off in the end. In the next marking
period, I would be very satisfied in earning a “C+,” and I never thought
earning such a grade could be so “sweet.”
Be sure to:
1. Clearly introduce the topic of your connection.
2. Share a detailed personal anecdote that demonstrates ideas in the
quote.
3. Express ideas that show a clear connection between the anecdote and
the quote.
Expository Body Paragraph: The Cultural Connection
In addition, one might also see ideas expressed in the quote
reflected in the book, THE PACT. This is a true story about a group of
young, inner-city boys who make a promise with each other to escape
their downtrodden and poor lives in the ghettos of New Jersey by
becoming doctors. Because they make this promise to one another, it
should be clear that their education is going to become a critical piece of
their plan. Consequently, in trying to successfully complete high school –
never mind college and medical school – they often struggle because of
their disadvantaged circumstances. At times, they were even corrupted
by the forces of crime and drugs of the streets on which they lived. So,
going to school was not something they always enjoyed. However, they
stuck together, supported one another, and worked very hard. As a
result, they earned their medical degrees, attained jobs in healthcare, and
currently have very comfortable ways of living. Certainly, their lives as
adults are much “sweeter” than their lives as children.
1. Clearly introduce the topic of your connection.
2. Share background information as well as details about the cultural
example that relate to the quote.
3. Express ideas that show a connection between the cultural example
and the quote.
“The roots of education are bitter, but the fruits are sweet.” ~Aristotle
Knowing that Aristotle was credited with the founding of the world’s first
“university,” one might completely understand why he would say, “The roots of
education are bitter, but the fruits are sweet.” Moreover, what he says seems
pretty profound, especially the figurative meaning. However, literally speaking,
one might look at this from the level of consumption. For instance, if one eats a
root, one might find that most roots taste bitter. Because of that, the
experience could be rather unpleasant. On the other hand, if one eats fruits,
one might find that most fruits are sweet; so, the experience is enjoyable. As a
result, figuratively speaking, Aristotle seems to suggest that, as one is immersed
in the process of education it might not be a very pleasurable experience;
however, over time, the experience might yield some beneficial or pleasurable
results. Consequently, I think there’s a lot of truth in this, especially when
considering how it would relate to both my life and the story of a collection of
friends from the ghettos of New Jersey, called The Pact.
In high school, I was not a very good math student. One thing that I
found particularly challenging was the subject, Algebra. Because of this, it
would often take me a long time to complete any of the homework; and, I
would have to work really hard in order to do well on tests. I can even
remember falling asleep on my textbook, some nights, because I was
struggling so long trying to figure out some of the concepts. It got to a
point that my frustrations got the best of me; the education was certainly
“bitter.” Rather than diligently do my homework, I found something to
do with my friends. Rather than study for the tests, I would just “wing it.”
So, it did not surprise me when I saw the words, “Sean, you are failing,”
written on a test that I had failed at the end of one marking period. Sure
enough, I did end up failing. And, that was a wake-up call because I
hadn’t failed anything, before. As a result, I returned to my old ways of
staying up late to complete homework and doing extra problems to
prepare for tests. I even started to attend some tutoring sessions with my
teacher. All in all, these habits paid off in the end. In the next marking
period, I would be very satisfied in earning a “C+,” and I never thought
earning such a grade could be so “sweet.”
In addition, one might also see ideas expressed in the quote
reflected in the book, THE PACT. This is a true story about a group of
young, inner-city boys who make a promise with each other to escape
their downtrodden and poor lives in the ghettos of New Jersey by
becoming doctors. Because they make this promise to one another, it
should be clear that their education is going to become a critical piece of
their plan. Consequently, in trying to successfully complete high school –
never mind college and medical school – they often struggle because of
their disadvantaged circumstances. At times, they were even corrupted
by the forces of crime and drugs of the streets on which they lived. So,
going to school was not something they always enjoyed. However, they
stuck together, supported one another, and worked very hard. As a
result, they earned their medical degrees, attained jobs in healthcare, and
currently have very comfortable ways of living. Certainly, their lives as
adults are much “sweeter” than their lives as children.