Dang! I haven’t
even finished my
essay yet! These
guys are toast!

…you provide your own formal interpretation
of the topic

…you use the literary work to prove or
substantiate your understanding of the topic

…try to prove the plot – we know how
the series of events unfolded because
we read the book (or watched the film).

…need to prove that the characters,
setting, or themes existed in the literary
work

…provide an interpretation of the plot,
setting, character, conflict, and themes as
they relate to the topic you are discussing

…develop elements that will prove your
argument

…allows you, the writer, to provide your own
understanding of the literary work in a
properly structured format.

…Simply refer to the scene you have
selected and EXPLAIN its importance - how
it exemplifies whatever you are trying to
substantiate.
When Morpheus takes Neo to a
simulated version of the
wastelands, Neo must come to
grips with the awful truth – that
he has literally been living in a
dream-world and was, until
recently, nothing more than a
coppertop battery …

…re-connect to the author’s message and
expand with the help of an anecdote or
historical reference …
… The Wachowski brothers are
making a point about how the truth
often hurts. This is hardly profound,
as we all have to confront one
inconvenient truth or another by
the time we’re sixteen. The fact
that education is such a vital
necessity is often a hard truth to
have to accept when it’s Saturday
night, you have a pile of homework
due Monday morning, and your
friends won’t stop calling to see if
you’re available to party …

…re-direct from anecdote back to the main
idea. You will notice that I compensated for
a weak anecdote in the first sentence here
… Luckily, I was able to steer the
conversation back to the “dealing with the
truth” theme. Take note of the transition
sentence at the end …
But, for Thomas Anderson, the
reality he chose to face was
never known to him in any
definite or indirect way. Neo
isn’t avoiding the truth – he
doesn’t know it yet. This is why
some audiences might be put off
by Morpheus’ approach, which
appears to be lacking in
compassion …

I’m in a new paragraph because I’ve switched my focus to
Morpheus. I still writing about the same idea (“dealing
with the truth”) and from here I can build a new idea
(“the role of mentors is dealing with harsh realities”), or,
I can transition to a new idea altogether, which is exactly
what I’ve done below …

One might even go as far as to say that,
given there is next to no fore-warning,
Morpheus’ methods are just downright
cruel. He repeatedly slams Neo with one
dismal detail after another. The old saying,
“thrown into the deep end,” comes to mind.
But Morpheus isn’t naïve, he knows that
nothing is worse than the thought of having
to go back to the pod to live a lie. The only
way Morpheus can make that distinct ion is
if he tears off the figurative bandage with
one clean stroke. If he eased his candidates
into the experience, and allowed them to
warm up to the truth a little bit at a time,
the greater journey would never begin –
they would just get scared and back down.
This is why the two pills are so important,
not to mention the opportunity to make a
choice that Morpheus provides each
potential member of his crew.
You can get your head around all this essay
stuff … you just have to remember …
In order to be complete your essay
must include the following :

…clearly introduces the topic, the literary
work, and the author.

Example:
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee presents
prejudice and discrimination of black people.

The introduction allows you to give the reader the
clear and specific direction of your essay. Try your
best to write a reflection related to your topic to
draw the reader’s attention and engage them.

…states the main purpose of the essay

…is often stated in the LAST sentence of
your introduction

…answers the question:
What will you prove/show through this
essay about the literary work under
discussion?
These two gentlemen are the Wachowski brothers – they wrote and directed The
Matrix films. The question you have to answer is … why? What are they
predicting? What are they saying about history and modern life? What lessons or
morals are they trying to pass along? What do they want us to think about and
how do we know? Your job is to explain exactly that – paying particular attention
to something specific that the author’s are trying to accomplish. You should refer
to “the Wachowski brothers” throughout your essay.

…is divided into no less than three (3)
paragraphs

…is composed of paragraphs which
begin with a topic sentence that
clearly introduces the topic in the
paragraph and end with linking
sentences that introduce the next
paragraph



…serves to PROVE your thesis
NOTE:
In order to prove your thesis, you must develop and
expand on the topic using examples and citations
(quotes) from the literary work to substantiate your
statements
Once a quote is cited, you must provide an
interpretation, not a summary, about how this
quote is relevant to the development of the topic
and thesis


…is where you develop your ideas about the topic
…is where you provide your own ideas by
answering the following questions:
1. What is the topic? How is the topic relevant?
2. How does the topic relate to the literary work?
3. How does topic affect the development of the literary
work as a whole?
4.
5.
6.
What is my understanding of the topic and the
literary work?
How does the setting affect the development of
the topic?
How do the characters assist in the development
of the topic?
You DO NOT, however, write your essay in
a “question & answer” format. It must flow
like the literary work itself.
Use the questions only as a GUIDE.
They will help you to interpret
instead of summarizing!
The first sentence of the conclusion is a
restatement of your THESIS.
Do not introduce any new information in the
conclusion.
Restate your most important points as a means
of bringing your argument to a close.
The conclusion is your last chance to prove
your opinion to the reader!
THERE’S NO TURNING
BACK NOW
SWEETHEART!
Introduction : Paragraph One
1st sentence:
General overview of the
topic
2nd & 3rd sentences: Introduction of the author
and the literary work
Additional sentences: Description and/or
development of the
literary work as it pertains
the topic. It’s where you
introduce your argument.
Final sentence:
Restatement of the thesis .
Paragraph 2 –
Development of first argument
Topic Sentence: Introduces only the argument
in this paragraph.
Development consists of
ideas which support the topic
sentence and thesis


Choose 1 – 2 quotes from the literary work which will
develop/support this topic and establish a connection to
topic/thesis
A linking sentence will reinforce what was stated in this
paragraph and connect it to the following argument.
Paragraph 3 – Development of second argument
Paragraph 4 – Development of third argument

Restates the thesis

Summarizes the main points of your
argument from each paragraph

Makes final concluding point
HOW IT LOOKS
INTRODUCTION
ARGUMENT 1
BODY
ARGUMENT 2
ARGUMENT 3
CONCLUSION
Quotes of four lines or less can be included in the
body of your essay using quotation marks
Example:
“He stood there until nightfall, and I
waited for him. When we went in the
house I saw he had been crying; his
Author’s last
face was dirty.” (Lee 63)
name and page

reference
Intro
Cite
Explain
Relate
For citations that are MORE than 4 lines long,
centre and single space the quote as shown
below:
Indent 10 spaces
For reasons unfathomable
to the most experienced
prophets in Maycomb County,
autumn turned to winter that year.
We had two weeks of the coldest
weather since 1885 (Lee 63)
Alfredo, B. Critical Interpretations of To Kill A
Mockingbird. New York: Routledge, 1999.
Lee, H. To Kill A Mockingbird. Philadelphia: Warner
Books, 1960.
Use MLA format.
Include the literary work in the works consulted list .




Do not make a title page for your paper unless
specifically requested.
In the upper left-hand corner of the first page, list
your name, your instructor's name, the course, and
the date. Be sure to use double-spaced text.
Double space again and center the title. Don't
underline your title or put it in quotation marks.
Double space between the title and the first line of
the text.
Here is a sample first page of an essay in MLA style:
Ensure you have completed the following before
you submit your essay for assessment to your
teacher:
1.
Double spaced your essay
2.
Microsoft Sans Serif , Verdana or Calibri, font size 12
3.
MLA format throughout
Labeled each page, including page 1, with your last
name and page number
4.
5.
Included a Works Consulted page
6.
Cited the literary work in the works cited page and
referenced it properly throughout
7.
Have introduction, body paragraphs, and
conclusion
8.
Clearly stated thesis
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
Edited for spelling and language errors (be
careful of “typos”)
Stapled the essay in the correct order
Spelled the teacher’s name correctly
Indented each new paragraph 5 spaces to
show its beginning
Underlined all book titles throughout the
essay
The system would like to thank you
for making a choice that will
guarantee the following …
• Your suspension in a state of
long-term infancy!
• Your inability to grow as an
individual!
• The unlikelihood of you ever
figuring out how strong you are and
what you can do to improve things
for other pod-slaves like you!
Life is but a dream … the Matrix way