Relationship Dynamics in Literature
Explore the intricacies of relationships in Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" and an independent novel, analyzing what makes or breaks them. From structuring an essay to dissecting key elements, this guide provides valuable insights to navigate the writing process effectively.
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R + J ESSAY What makes or breaks a relationship in William Shakespeare s Romeo and Juliet and your independent novel?
WHAT IS AN ESSAY? An essay can have many purposes, but the basic structure is the same no matter what. In English class, students often write essays to analyze a piece of literature, which means to discover or reveal something through a detailed examination of the literature. If you follow a few simple steps, you will find that the essay almost writes itself. Don't let the thought of putting pen to paper daunt you. Get started!
STEPS TO WRITING AN ESSAY These simple steps will guide you through the essay writing process: Decide on your topic. Prepare a prewrite/outline of your ideas. Write your thesis statement with 2-3 subtopics. Write the body paragraphs with topic sentences, where you elaborate on the subpoints. Write the introduction paragraph. Write the conclusion paragraph. Reread and revise.
ORGANIZING YOUR IDEAS The purpose of a pre-write/outline is to put your ideas about the topic on paper, in an organized format. NEVER start writing an essay before organizing your ideas first!
THESIS STATEMENTS Once you have decided what information you plan to present in your essay, you are ready to write your thesis statement. The thesis tells the reader what the essay will be about, and what point you, the author, will be making. It is an opinion statement and can be proven. It is always placed at the end of the first paragraph.
THESIS STATEMENTS Your thesis statement will have two parts. The first part states the answer to the prompt/your opinion about the topic. A guest speaker who would be influential for the students of Neshaminy High School would be Barack Obama because The second part states the supporting reasons/subtopics. he could teach students about important events happening in the world, and he could address some concerns of teenagers in the U.S. today.
WRITING THE BODY PARAGRAPHS In the body of the essay, the topic you have chosen must now be proven, described, or argued. Each subtopic that you listed in your pre-write or outline will become your body paragraphs. If you had two or three subtopics, you will have two or three body paragraphs. Each body paragraph will have the same basic structure: a topic sentence followed by support and elaboration.
EXAMPLE If your subtopic is can teach us a lot about worldly events," you might say this: Barack Obama would provide students with knowledge about events happening throughout the world. Supporting Point: For example, we could learn more about the U.S. conflict with ISIS. Elaboration: ISIS is a terrorist group who is causing much fear throughout the world. Students may want to know about this group and what harm they are causing to others.
BLENDING EVIDENCE IN BODY PARAGRAPHS Shirt/Transition Provide context for evidence (when/where / what is going on in the text). Quote/Evidence Example from text (direct quote), blended and cited correctly, to back up your topic sentence (which should back up the thesis statement). Pants/Reasoning How does this example back up your thesis?
EXAMPLE OF BODY PARAGRAPH Love is a bonding force in the play, therefore, being a force that makes Romeo and Juliet s relationship. For example, after Romeo and Juliet meet at the Capulets ball, Romeo and Juliet vow to love one another forever. Juliet says to Romeo during the famous balcony scene, If that thy bent of love be honorable, Thy propose marriage, send me word tomorrow by one that I ll procure to come to thee where and what time thou wilt perform the rite, and all my fortunes at thy foot I ll lay and follow thee my lord throughout the world (Shakespeare 2.2.142- 148).Because Juliet s love for Romeo is strong, and Romeo feels the same for Juliet, they decide to marry secretly without their families consent. Love is all that matters to Romeo and Juliet, and the hatred between their families is not a strong enough force to break them apart; therefore, love makes their relationship thrive and progress to the point that Juliet promises to follow Romeo wherever he may go.
WRITING THE INTRODUCTION AND CONCLUSION Your essay lacks only two paragraphs now: the introduction and conclusion. These paragraphs will give the reader a point of entry to and a point of exit from your essay.
INTRODUCTION: PART 1 The HOOK/ATTENTION-GETTER: The introduction should be designed to attract the reader's attention and give him/her an idea of the essay's focus. Begin with an attention grabber. The attention grabber you use is up to you, but here are some ideas:
TYPES OF HOOKS Startling Information: This information must be true, and it doesn't need to be totally new to your readers. It could simply be a pertinent fact or statistic that explicitly illustrates the point you wish to make. If you use a piece of startling information, follow it with a sentence or two of elaboration. Example: Imagine a line of dead bodies stretching for twenty-five miles 25,000 corpses. That is the number of victims of drunk driving every year. It's hard to believe that the number is increasing in spite of community awareness efforts. (TS)The time has come to take more specific measures to get drunk drivers off the road.
TYPES OF HOOKS Anecdote: An anecdote is a story that illustrates a point. Be sure your anecdote is short, to the point, and relevant to your topic. This can be a very effective opener for your essay, but use it carefully. Example: A young driver turns up the stereo louder and smiles as he dreams of the fun he had at the party plenty of good music and alcohol. Suddenly a tree appears from out of nowhere. He grabs at the wheel to turn the car. Headlights swerve in the darkness. But it's too late. A patrol car screams to find the twisted body of another kid who drank and drove. (TS) Teenagers need to understand the effects of alcohol on their adolescent bodies.
TYPES OF HOOKS Quote: An interesting quote that address the topic on which you are writing can be an effective way to begin your essay. Be sure to use proper attribution by including who said the quote. Example: Drinking kills more young drivers than any other cause," says John Smith, head of Wisconsin highway safety. "Their corpses litter the highways of America every night." Sadly, many think that there is nothing they can do about this except have their own designated driver or take friends' and family members' keys away. (TS) However, studies have shown that cell phones save more people from drunken driving than most people would imagine.
TYPES OF HOOKS Summary Information: A few sentences explaining your topic in general terms can lead the reader gently to your thesis. Each sentence should become gradually more specific, until you reach your thesis. Example: Although they were invented almost a hundred years ago, for decades cars were only owned by the rich. Since the 60s and 70s they have become increasingly affordable, and now most families in developed nations, and a growing number in developing countries, own a car. (TS) While cars have undoubted advantages, of which their convenience is the most apparent, they have significant drawbacks, most notably pollution and traffic problems.
INTRODUCTION: PART 2 The BRIDGE/NECESSARY INFORMATION: Just like a bridge gets a person from point A to point B, the bridge of your intro should get the reader from the hook to your thesis. This should introduce your text, author, and topic, but should not be specific or add in your opinion yet.
INTRODUCTION: PART 3 The THESIS STATEMENT: Topic + Opinion + 2-3 Subtopics Last sentence of the introduction paragraph
INTRODUCTION RECAP Hook Attention-Grabber Bridge Necessary Info Thesis Thesis
EXAMPLE INTRODUCTION Marriage and romantic relationships during the Elizabethan era were often pre-arranged by parents, with the emphasis of a lasting relationship being placed on wealth and opportunity, rather than love and honesty. William Shakespeare s Romeo and Juliet, a play about a young couple fighting against society s norms and their families hatred for one another, demonstrates the effects of placing value in opportunity and explores the effects of long-lasting hatred on relationships. Many factors make or break relationships throughout the text, including love, hatred, and taking actions without thinking about consequences.
CONCLUSION The conclusion brings closure to the reader, summarizing your points and providing a final perspective on your topic. Restate the thesis (being careful not to restate them exactly). Review the main points discussed in the essay. Relate back to your hook and answer the question, So What? Address why this topic matters in the scheme of life.
ADDING THE FINISHING TOUCHES You have now completed all of the paragraphs of your essay. Before you can consider this a finished product, however, you must give some thought to the formatting of your paper. Check the order of your paragraphs. Check the instructions for the assignment. Be sure you have formatted your essay in MLA style. Check your writing. Use spellcheck and/or have another pair of eyes read your essay.
MLA REMINDERS Paper has proper heading (2 points), title (1 point), running header (1 point), parenthetical citations (2 points), and works cited page (2 pts for book entry), (2 pts for play entry). Heading: Name Kannengieszer English 9 20 November 2017 Title is original, not just the name of the assignment, and centered. Running header includes Last Name Page Number and goes in the header at the top right of each page. Book & play titles should be italicized. (Ex. Romeo and Juliet)
MLA REMINDERS Quotations: 1. Introduce quotes by the speaker. 2. Format quotes properly. 3. Cite quotes at the end before the period. (Act.scene.line) OR (Author s Last Name Page #) Example: The nurse comes to Juliet s defense, saying, You are to blame, my lord, to rate her so (3.5.45).
PROMPT Write a literary analysis essay to answer the following prompt: What makes or breaks a relationship in William Shakespeare s Romeo and Juliet and in your independent novel? Many factors make or break relationships throughout the texts, including _________________________ and _________________________.
SAMPLE ESSAY Orange: hook (intro), so what (conclusion) Blue: bridge (intro), summary (conclusion) Yellow: thesis (intro), topic sentences (body), thesis restate (conclusion) Green: shirt (body paragraphs) Red: quote (body paragraphs) Purple: pants (body paragraphs)
