Summary Paper Introductory Paragraph
What does the introductory paragraph in a summary essay do?
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Engages the reader with an interesting opening
Identifies the source (author, title, etc.)
Explains the topic of the source
Conveys the main perspective or thesis of the source
Read the following introductory paragraph from a summary essay titled “Summary of ‘Jennifer
and Rachel’ by Lee M. Silver” (reprinted from Reading and Writing Across the Academic
Community, Pearson-Prentice Hall, 2006).
James Henderson
Professor Smith
Academic Writing I
28 September 1999
Summary of “Jennifer and Rachel” by Lee M. Silver
How might our society change if individuals begin to clone themselves to produce
children rather than conceive through sexual relations? This question conjures up images of
Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, where hordes of identical children were “hatched” and
raised in uniform batches to fulfill specific needs. According to Lee M. Silver author of
“Jennifer and Rachel,” human cloning will happen, but it will not pose the danger to our
humanity or our social structure that Huxley predicted. Silver presents his own fictional account
of cloning, but in his tale, a single woman named Jennifer clones herself to create a child that is
entirely her own. He tells Jennifer’s story to illustrate why someone might choose to be cloned,
and then, through commentary on the scenario, he explains why we should not fear these
products of our own brave new world.
1. Who is the author of the source article?
2. What is the name of the source article?
3. In which publication did the article appear?
4. Who is the writer of the summary paper?
5. What is the topic of the source article?