Introductions
and
Conclusions
Barry 2010
Introductory Paragraph
 The
introduction of an essay
includes three important
components:
 1.
a hook
 2. an introduction to the novel
 3. a thesis statement. (Mrs. Barry
usually simply calls this a thesis.)
Hook
 The
hook of an essay is the part of
the essay that captures the reader’s
attention and encourages him or
her to continue reading.
 There are many different hooks you
can use.
Hook
 1.
Begin your essay with a question.
 Example:
How significant are books to our
society? If all the books in the world
disappeared, how would it affect us?
Ray Bradbury posed this question to the
readers of his novel Fahrenheit 451.
Hook
 2.
Begin your essay with a quotation.
 Example:
Shakespeare wrote, “All the world’s a stage,
and all the men and women merely
players” (2.7.139-166). His words remind us
that in some ways, we all play a part in life
that does not relate to our true identity. In
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne,
Reverend Dimmesdale embraces this idea.
Hook
 3.
Begin your essay with a strong
statement.
 Example:
(Charles Dickens’ A
Christmas Carol)
Marley was dead: to begin with. There is no
doubt whatever about that.
Hook
 4.
Begin your essay with figurative
language. (Metaphor, simile, imagery,
personification, etc.)
 Example: Censorship is a disease; when its
effects are not quarantined, the mentality
that drives the banning of books can spread
like the black plague throughout society. In
Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 . . .
Hook
 5.
Begin your essay with a
hypothetical scenario.
 Example: Imagine being betrayed by
everyone: family, friends, neighbors—
everyone. Imagine experiencing
complete loneliness. Imagine being the
symbol of sin for an entire community. This
is what Hester Prynne experienced in The
Scarlet Letter.
Hook
 6.
Begin your essay with a vivid
scene.
 Example: An inferno of flames engulfs a
house on the street of an ordinary
neighborhood. Neighbors come out to
watch the reds and yellows dance
against the black of the night sky. This
house is burning because it contains
contraband materials: books. In Ray
Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, . . .
Introduction to the Novel
 Your
introductory paragraph should
briefly mention the novel and author
you are writing about.
 Example: An inferno of flames engulfs a
house on the street of an ordinary
neighborhood. Neighbors come out to watch
the reds and yellows dance against the black
of the night sky. This house is burning because
it contains contraband materials: books. In
Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, . . .
Thesis Statement
 The
thesis statement of the essay
contains the argument the writer is
making.
 It also previews the body of the essay.
 Your thesis should contain, in
shortened form, all the main points you
plan to make.
 The main points should be in order!
 One to two sentences should be
sufficient.
Thesis Statement
I
am writing an essay about how
Fahrenheit 451 teaches us that it’s
useless to change because Montag
doesn’t get anywhere by bucking
the system.
Thesis Statement
 My
main points are:
 1. At the beginning of the novel,
Montag burns books without thinking.
 2. As Montag faces the internal
conflict of deciding if book-burning is
right, he begins thinking about why
society has the rules it does.
 3. From Montag’s experiences,
Bradbury wants us to learn that it is
useless to resist authority, because
Montag loses everything by resisting.
Thesis Statement
 Example
Thesis:
Through internal conflict, Montag is
transformed from a man who
thoughtlessly burns books for a living
to a rebel who fights against society’s
norms. In the end, he loses
everything; this reveals that Bradbury
wants us to learn that it is useless to
resist the government.
Conclusion
 The
conclusion of the essay should
do two things:
 1. Restate the thesis in different
words.
 2. Leave the reader with food for
thought.
Restating the Thesis
 Tips
for restating the thesis:
 1. Try copying and pasting your
thesis at the bottom of the essay,
then referring to it as you state it in
new words.
 2. Compare the two to make sure
they are sufficiently different.
Restating the Thesis
 Example
Thesis:
Through internal conflict, Montag is
transformed from a man who thoughtlessly
burns books for a living to a rebel who fights
against society’s norms. In the end, he loses
everything, so Bradbury wants us to learn
that it is useless to resist the government.
 Restatement:
At the beginning of the novel Fahrenheit
451, Montag simply does as he is told and
burns books. His experiences cause him to
change and question society, but he gains
nothing from it. Bradbury wants us to learn
to obey society’s command.
Food for Thought
 Just
as the hook captures your
reader’s interest, leaving the reader
with food for thought closes your
essay with a boom!
 Strategies include:
1. End with a question.
2. End with a quotation.
3. End with a strong statement.
4. End with figurative language.
5. Refer back to the introduction.
Refer back to the Intro
 Here’s
an example of how to refer
back to the introduction.
 Intro: How significant are books to our
society? If all the books in the world
disappeared, how would it affect us?
Ray Bradbury posed this question to
the readers of his novel Fahrenheit 451.
 Food for thought: In Fahrenheit 451,
Ray Bradbury helped us to answer the
question of how significant books are
to our society. His answer is that books
are an invaluable part of our society,
not to be underestimated.