Topic:
I ask that you come up with your own topic for the essay. In the past, I’ve given students options of prompts that I’ve written, and found that students are generally more creative and incisive when they come up with their own argument. I will, however, be happy to help guide you in a specific direction if you would find that helpful, so please do reach out if you’re having trouble coming up with your own topic.
Thesis Statements:
The foundation of a successful essay is its thesis statement. Most of you are probably familiar with thesis statements, but just in case, I’ll explain exactly what I’m looking for in one. A thesis statement is the simplest expression of your argument/observation about a chosen text. It should be arguable (in other words, someone should theoretically be able to disagree with it). It should also be specific, avoiding vague language, and identifying the exact aspect of your chosen text that informs your observation.
Bad thesis example: “In Life Among the Piutes, Sarah Winnemucca Hopkins advocates for the better treatment of her people, explaining how the US government has treated the Piutes unjustly.”
Good thesis example: “In Life Among the Piutes, Sarah Winnemucca Hopkins appeals to the Christian sensibilities of her reader in order to make them recognize the injustice faced by the Piutes.”
Looking at the bad thesis example, you’ll notice that the wording sounds good. It’s a true statement, but it can’t form the basis of an analytical essay because there is no room for disagreement with that statement. It’s also fairly vague, and doesn’t indicate what the paper will actually be about. In contrast, the good thesis example is arguable (there are theoretically other reasons Hopkins might use Christian rhetoric), and because it focuses on her use of Christian rhetoric, you can safely assume that the paper will be about the moments in the text where Hopkins uses that.
Topic Sentences:
Each of your body paragraphs should have a topic sentence that clearly communicates what your upcoming paragraph will be about. Since each of your body paragraphs will be part of your evidence for your thesis statement, there should also be a clear connection to the thesis statement. Body paragraphs after the first should also include some kind of transition in order to link your ideas and clarify the logic in how you choose to order your main ideas. I often tell students that if you take your thesis and each topic sentence, and put them all next to one another, that should be a perfect summary of every major idea you cover in your paper.
Close Reading:
The bulk of each paragraph should be informed by close readings of specific passages that you cite and analyze. Directly quoting and analyzing specific moments in the text is vital to your paper’s success. See my other announcements concerning close reading, and the examples in the “Files” tab.
Format:
The five paragraph essay format that you are likely familiar with is appropriate for the scope of this assignment. This is an introduction, 3 body paragraphs, and a conclusion. It is not the only successful way to go about completing this assignment, however. Some students forego a summary conclusion entirely and instead use their last paragraph to discuss the implications of what they’ve argued, or synthesize their examples. Some students will only use 2 longer body paragraphs, or 4 shorter ones. All of these approaches are viable. How you choose to organize the essay will be up to you. I’ve uploaded a document detailing how to outline an essay in the “Files” tab, for those of you who would find that helpful.
link for the article:
https://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/winnemucca/piutes/piutes.html