1
Name_____________________________________________________ Period________ Date_____________________
Life of Pi Analysis Essay
Your goal is to produce a high quality essay analyzing and arguing an overall Thesis
Statement “Claim” in response to the given prompt. By now you should have already
analyzed the “texts” related to the topic, decided upon which of the three texts you intend
to use, and written body paragraphs that respond to the prompt. Your goal now is to
complete the essay in MLA-style using a 4- or 5-Paragraph format:
Introductory Paragraph 1:
 Hook
 Bridge
 Thesis Statement “Claim”
Body Paragraph 1:
 Transitions from Intro Paragraph (this usually occurs in the Topic Sentence)
 In response to prompt, supports overall Thesis and analyzes first text
Body Paragraph 2:
 Transitions from Body Paragraph 1 (this usually occurs in the Topic Sentence)
 In response to prompt, supports overall Thesis and analyzes second text
Body Paragraph 3 (if you write a B.P. 3, depending on your Thesis Statement needs):
 Transitions from Body Paragraph 2 (this usually occurs in the Topic Sentence)
 In response to prompt, supports overall Thesis and analyzes third text
Concluding Paragraph:
 Transitions smoothly
 Summarizes key information without repeating
 Provides no new information
 Addresses counterclaims effectively while refuting them considerately
 Leaves reader something to consider/returns to theme (level 3)/doesn’t introduce
new info
Works Cited
 Contains a works cited page for three cited sources in MLA format
Now that you have brainstormed the ways in which your sources/element tracking
responds to the prompt in common, you’ve hopefully narrowed your focus enough to write
your Thesis Statement “Claim.” Your Thesis Statement “Claim” should not only preview and
outline your paper, but it should also will be strongly supported by your evidence and
analysis. You should be able to write a Thesis Statement “Claim” that considers your chosen
texts in response to the prompt. One method of writing a working claim is to write a multipart claim initially before smoothing it out when revising. Writing the claim in multiple
parts will help you determine whether or not your body paragraphs will actually support
2
the claim you have written. The multi-part method will also provide a roadmap for your
paper, while additionally serving as a type of destination for the hook and bridge in your
Intro Paragraph.
First, consider that, unlike your identification of the author and text (Level 1) in your Body
Paragraphs, in your Intro Paragraph, you should actually fully identify the authors and
texts in your bridge. Therefore, by the time readers reach your Thesis Statement “Claim,”
they will already know the names of the authors and texts. Thus, you will only cursorily
restate Level 1 information in the Thesis Statement “Claim.”
For now, you might begin with the stem below and revise from there. First, however,
consider the following once more:
Writing Your Thesis Statement “Claim”:


First, consider that the job of your claim is to:
(a) initially establish your response to the prompt as it relates to the
content material based on your chosen texts and
(b) give the reader a road map to your essay
Next, remember that your essay must argue a strong claim; therefore, in your
essay you must:
(a) describe and identify the aspects you intend to analyze/argue from the
texts and
(b) select and use quotes/examples from places throughout the texts in
order to demonstrate the significance of the chosen aspect
Use the stem below or a variation of it to practice writing your thesis. This is a bare bones stem
designed to get you started and should be enhanced and revised. It is also very awkward/clunky
in its current form.
The prompt (Option #1): In a well-organized essay, explain how Martel, Marquez, and Kelly
use the literary elements specific to the Magical Realism genre to effectively convey
and/or illuminate the existential dilemmas experienced by the protagonist, Pi, and the
main “characters” in the other works, respectively.
In all three texts (or cursory restatement of “texts”), Martel, Marquez, and Kelly use
________________________________________________ and ______________________
(element 1)
(element 2)
_________________________ to illuminate (or synonym/active verb) the ways in which
Pi, Pelayo and Elisenda, and the boys who killed the goat, respectively, experience
(write in your choice of characters here)
______________________________________________________________________________
(existential dilemma or crisis experienced by all three characters)
_____________________________________________________________________________.
3
All About Your Intro
Consider that your Introductory Paragraph is like a road and a road map all in one. It is the
avenue readers take from their own lives to the “life” of your analysis, while, at the same time, it
serves as a map or guide outlining where your paper will go. Your Thesis Statement “Claim” is a
momentary stop for your readers where they will receive directions on their trip through your
essay.
You already have the Thesis Statement, but your Intro Paragraph should have three main parts:
1. Hook (2-3 sentences):
 Must capture your reader’s attention
 Connected to the larger themes and ideas you will discuss in your paper
 More general in its concerns, i.e., it applies to the world at large (Level 3)
 Does not mention the book/“text” titles, authors, or characters
 Hook approaches include, among others: a question, a quote, a fact (a startling
fact), using the word “imagine,” a “what if” scenario, a contrarian approach, using
a quote differently, referencing a historical event, and arousing curiosity
2. Bridge (2-3 sentences):
 Provides a bridge or connection between your hook and your Thesis Statement
 The reason you “hooked” your reader should now be revealed in the way you use
the bridge to connect the hook to your overall topic, the texts and Thesis
 Where you will first mention the title of the book, author, and the character(s)
 Provides context for the ideas you will address
 The theme (by way of the “commonalities between sources”) revealed in your
hook must start to connect to the specifics of your essay as they relate to your
“texts” in the bridge
3. Thesis Statement Claim (1-2 sentences (though revised to 1 generally):
 The main point or idea of your essay
 Like topic sentence “claims,” it is an opinion
 Unlike claims/topic sentences, it provides a road map for all of your body
paragraphs, not just one
 Links the theme of your essay to the aspects you will analyze/explore
 Outlines by way of naming the aspects your essay addresses
 Each “text” named in the Intro Paragraph should become its own body paragraph
and thus your claim/thesis statement is technically a three-part claim—you will
most likely smooth this out in the revision process
(Remember: Your paper should move from the general to the specific and, by the time you reach
your conclusion, back to the general. Recommended: Write at least as many sentences as
recommended above now so that you can condense as you revise later.)
4
When considering options for your hook, apply the famous advice that goes something along
the lines of “when you advertise fire-extinguishers, open with the fire.”
1. Use a contrarian approach. Make a statement of a universally accepted concept then go
against conventional wisdom by contradicting the statement. For example, a market trader starts
by contradicting the commonly held advice of buying low and selling high. He says: “It’s wrong.
Why? Because buying low typically entails a stock that's going in the opposite direction—
down—from the most desired direction—up.” This is a provocative opening that engages the
audience right away.
2. Ask a series of rhetorical questions. A common way to engage the audience at the start is to
ask a rhetorical question. Better still, start with a series of rhetorical questions. A series of
rhetorical questions stimulate the audience’s mind as they ponder the answers.
3. Make a startling assertion. A surefire way to gain people's attention is by starting with a
startling or amazing fact. Take the time to research startling statistics that illustrate the
seriousness of what you're going to talk about. For example, a presentation about conservancy
can start with: “Every second, a slice of rainforest the size of a football field is mowed down.
That's over 31 million football fields of rainforest each year.”
4. Provide a reference to a historical event.
5. Use the word imagine. The word ‘imagine’ invites the audience to create a mental image of
something. Ever since John Lennon’s famous song, it has become a powerful word with
emotional appeal. There is power in asking the audience to conjure up their imagination, to play
along. This tactic can easily be adapted to any topic where you want the audience to imagine a
positive outcome, or a vision of a better tomorrow. It can be used, as well, to ask them to
imagine being in someone else’s shoes.
6. Arouse curiosity. You can start with a statement that is designed to arouse curiosity and make
the audience look up and listen to you attentively. Bestselling author Dan Pink does this
masterfully in one of his talks. He says: “I need to make a confession, at the outset. A little over
20 years ago, I did something that I regret. Something that I am not particularly proud of,
something that in many ways I wished no one would ever know, but that here I feel kind of
obliged to reveal. In the late 1980s, in a moment of youthful indiscretion, I went to law school.”
7. Use quotations differently. Many speakers start with an apt quotation, but you can
differentiate yourself by stating the quotation and then adding a twist to it. For example, “We’ve
all heard that a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. But we need to remember
that a journey to nowhere also starts with a single step.”
8. Quote a proverb from another culture. There is a wealth of fresh material to be culled from
foreign proverbs. Chances are your listeners have never heard them so they have novelty appeal.
Here are some examples: “Our last garment is made without pockets” (Italy); “You’ll never plow
a field by turning it over in your mind” (Ireland); “The nail that sticks up will be hammered
down” (Japan), and “Paper can’t wrap up a fire” (China).
9. Take them through a “what if” scenario. A compelling way to start your essay is with a
“what if” scenario.
5
1. Hook:
Let’s begin by considering which types of hooks you believe will lend themselves to your
essay by answering the following questions:
What types of hooks do you think you might use?
________________________________________________________________________
Why did you choose these types of hooks (your answers should help determine which
type is a good choice)?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Practice writing your hook (then you might choose a different type):
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2. Bridge:
Now, using your chosen hook as a beginning, try crafting a bridge to your Thesis
Statement.
Remember:
 You should generate more material than you need—this is a good thing.
 Provide context about the overall arc of the story/essay/poem as it relates to your
essay and its aspects
Ask: How many texts am I using? Use the following stem for each “text” your essay
analyzes (include the book’s title, author, and the character or characters that are
important to your analysis).
In ___________________________________ by _______________________,
(text title)
(author/writer)
__________________________________________________________________
(character(s))
(overall context or
__________________________________________________________________.
situation related to your commonalities or aspects and theme)
You might write an additional bridge sentence if it makes sense to do so.
6
Next, use the lines below to continue crafting/refining/revising your Thesis Statement “Claim”
now that you have a working hook and bridge. You might still keep your claim in the multi-part
format, though eventually you should smooth it out a bit. You might also use this space for the
entire Intro Paragraph.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________