How do I build a HOOK, THESIS, and TOPIC STATEMENTS?
Start with the THESIS. The thesis is the overall idea of the paper. It contains the subject (the basis of the essay-- the prompt) and the angle (how you specifically will approach the overall topic).
Example: Tennessee Williams' Maggie from Cat on a Hot Tin Roof embodies a balance of feminine strength and weakness, much like Linda from Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman.
The HOOK speaks generally about the angle.
Example: Since the rise of feminism in the 1960's, women are expected to be strong. However, what characteristics define "strength" and "weakness" in a woman may differ based on an individual's perspective.
Then, you must connect your hook/angle to your specific subject.
Example: Maggie is the central female character in Tennessee Williams' play Cat on a Hot Tin Roof; she is young, physically beautiful, and rich. Linda is the central female character in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman; unlike Maggie, though, she is an older, average, and poor. Despite their differences, these women both represent the idea of "the woman" in a pre-feminist era.
Then connect to your thesis:
Tennessee Williams' Maggie from Cat on a Hot Tin Roof embodies a balance of feminine strength and weakness, much like Linda from Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman.
Now, add your CONTEXT, and you have an introduction:
Since the rise of feminism in the 1960's, women are expected to be strong. However, what characteristics define "strength" and "weakness" in a woman may differ based on an individual's perspective. Maggie is the central female character in Tennessee Williams' play Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, which is about a dysfunctional family dealing with a crisis: the family patriarch is dying, and his chosen heir is a drunk. Maggie is young, physically beautiful, and rich. Linda is the central female character in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, which is also about a dysfunctional family dealing with a crisis: the family patriarch is mentally unstable and suicidal, and the heir to his good name is nothing more than a petty thief. Unlike Maggie, though, Linda is an older, average, and poor. Despite their differences, these women both represent the idea of "the woman" in a pre-feminist era. Tennessee Williams' Maggie from Cat on a Hot Tin Roof embodies a balance of feminine strength and weakness, much like Linda from Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman.
To form TOPIC STATEMENTS, you need 3 different ways to talk about 'strength,' 'weakness' and these characters.
1. Strengths and weaknesses as a wife.
2. Strengths and weaknesses of their persistent nature.
3. Strengths and weaknesses of their sacrifices.
Now, build those paragraphs!
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It is VERY important to provide CONTEXT in an essay.
For example, in the "enlightenment" essay, it was important to establish CONTEXT for your response. This means that before you can talk about "red pills and blue pills," "caves and prisons," "the matrix and the allegory," you need to explain the significance of those terms. It is important to learn how to summarize a work in 1-2 sentences: THIS IS CONTEXT. This will be a necessary part of both the character essay (you will need to provide CONTEXT-- explain who these characters are and what works they are from before you analyze/compare them) and in the research paper (your context will be a synopsis of the film-- this belongs in the INTRODUCTION and shouldn't take up more than 3 lines).
Sample context for a paper that centers around "taking the red pill":
In the film The Matrix, Morpheous offers Neo a red or blue pill; the red pill will reveal truth to Neo, while the blue pill will keep Neo in a state of unknowing. Neo knows that enlightenment will not come easy, but he chooses the red pill anyway. Like Neo, I too choose the path of enlightenment; however, my "red pill" isn't literal, it is figurative.
If you discussed the film, the pills, the characters, etc. without an explanation, then you failed to provide CONTEXT.
General context belongs in the introduction. However, if you introduce new concepts in the body paragraphs, those will need context as well. Still follow your format, though. Place your topic statement first, then give context.
Example:
An adolescent living at home is much like a prisoner in a cave. (TOPIC) In Plato's famous allegory, prisoners sit chained in a cave and can only see shadows in front of them. On occasion, a prisoner will escape and become enlightened. As a teenager, I was a prisoner in my own home, trapped by rules, expectations, and threats of consequences. (CONTEXT/BACKGROUND) For example, I was told that I had to practice piano every single day; it didn't even matter that I disliked classical piano and would much rather have spent my time rocking out on a drum set. (SUPPORT) I missed many opportunities to make memories with my friends-- seeing movies, pool parties, sleepovers, etc. because they interfered with my scheduled practices. (SUPPORT) To be fair, my parents thought that being trained in classical music was a form of enlightenment, but what I've learned from reading Plato's allegory is that enlightenment can't be forced; a person must discover it on their own terms. (SUPPORT) When I turned twenty and moved out on my own, I finally bought a drum set. My parents wanted me to be Mozart, but I always identified more with Chad Smith. (CONNECTION) With the first tap of the drum, I felt the shackles coming off; I felt free. (WRAP-UP)
Another tip is to NEVER EVER forget about the THESIS STATEMENT. To make a solid thesis, take key words from the prompt; answer the prompt! You should never state the prompt in the form of the original question, but a reader should be able to surmise what question was asked from the wording of your thesis statement.
Example: If this were your prompt,
Imagine that you are are stuck in Plato's cave. How do you plan to get out? What do you plan to do once you are out? Remember to mix personal narrative with some analysis-- explain the symbolism of the cave and the journey as it applies to the story and then to your life.
then a good thesis (with context) might be:
Plato's cave, from his famous allegory, is a dark place where prisoners are chained to walls, forced only to see shadows on walls in front of them. High school was like that cave, but college will be my path out of it.
Topic statements are equally important. Do not begin a paragraph with a quote, a question, or a generic plot point. Topics are statements that need to be "backed up"-- they require support in terms of examples, explanations, and descriptions. Test your topic by asking yourself if there is more to discuss, more to elaborate. Topics should build, and in the end, you should have a well-rounded discussion of the original thesis point.
Topic one: High school is a shelter built from rules and conformity.
Topic two: If one never unshackles the chains of adolescence, then he or she is doomed, like the prisoners in Plato's cave, to remain stagnate.
Topic three: A college diploma will be my ticket out of the cave; not only will I gain knowledge, but I will learn how to use it as a means of progress for my community.
Start with the THESIS. The thesis is the overall idea of the paper. It contains the subject (the basis of the essay-- the prompt) and the angle (how you specifically will approach the overall topic).
Example: Tennessee Williams' Maggie from Cat on a Hot Tin Roof embodies a balance of feminine strength and weakness, much like Linda from Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman.
The HOOK speaks generally about the angle.
Example: Since the rise of feminism in the 1960's, women are expected to be strong. However, what characteristics define "strength" and "weakness" in a woman may differ based on an individual's perspective.
Then, you must connect your hook/angle to your specific subject.
Example: Maggie is the central female character in Tennessee Williams' play Cat on a Hot Tin Roof; she is young, physically beautiful, and rich. Linda is the central female character in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman; unlike Maggie, though, she is an older, average, and poor. Despite their differences, these women both represent the idea of "the woman" in a pre-feminist era.
Then connect to your thesis:
Tennessee Williams' Maggie from Cat on a Hot Tin Roof embodies a balance of feminine strength and weakness, much like Linda from Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman.
Now, add your CONTEXT, and you have an introduction:
Since the rise of feminism in the 1960's, women are expected to be strong. However, what characteristics define "strength" and "weakness" in a woman may differ based on an individual's perspective. Maggie is the central female character in Tennessee Williams' play Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, which is about a dysfunctional family dealing with a crisis: the family patriarch is dying, and his chosen heir is a drunk. Maggie is young, physically beautiful, and rich. Linda is the central female character in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, which is also about a dysfunctional family dealing with a crisis: the family patriarch is mentally unstable and suicidal, and the heir to his good name is nothing more than a petty thief. Unlike Maggie, though, Linda is an older, average, and poor. Despite their differences, these women both represent the idea of "the woman" in a pre-feminist era. Tennessee Williams' Maggie from Cat on a Hot Tin Roof embodies a balance of feminine strength and weakness, much like Linda from Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman.
To form TOPIC STATEMENTS, you need 3 different ways to talk about 'strength,' 'weakness' and these characters.
1. Strengths and weaknesses as a wife.
2. Strengths and weaknesses of their persistent nature.
3. Strengths and weaknesses of their sacrifices.
Now, build those paragraphs!
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
It is VERY important to provide CONTEXT in an essay.
For example, in the "enlightenment" essay, it was important to establish CONTEXT for your response. This means that before you can talk about "red pills and blue pills," "caves and prisons," "the matrix and the allegory," you need to explain the significance of those terms. It is important to learn how to summarize a work in 1-2 sentences: THIS IS CONTEXT. This will be a necessary part of both the character essay (you will need to provide CONTEXT-- explain who these characters are and what works they are from before you analyze/compare them) and in the research paper (your context will be a synopsis of the film-- this belongs in the INTRODUCTION and shouldn't take up more than 3 lines).
Sample context for a paper that centers around "taking the red pill":
In the film The Matrix, Morpheous offers Neo a red or blue pill; the red pill will reveal truth to Neo, while the blue pill will keep Neo in a state of unknowing. Neo knows that enlightenment will not come easy, but he chooses the red pill anyway. Like Neo, I too choose the path of enlightenment; however, my "red pill" isn't literal, it is figurative.
If you discussed the film, the pills, the characters, etc. without an explanation, then you failed to provide CONTEXT.
General context belongs in the introduction. However, if you introduce new concepts in the body paragraphs, those will need context as well. Still follow your format, though. Place your topic statement first, then give context.
Example:
An adolescent living at home is much like a prisoner in a cave. (TOPIC) In Plato's famous allegory, prisoners sit chained in a cave and can only see shadows in front of them. On occasion, a prisoner will escape and become enlightened. As a teenager, I was a prisoner in my own home, trapped by rules, expectations, and threats of consequences. (CONTEXT/BACKGROUND) For example, I was told that I had to practice piano every single day; it didn't even matter that I disliked classical piano and would much rather have spent my time rocking out on a drum set. (SUPPORT) I missed many opportunities to make memories with my friends-- seeing movies, pool parties, sleepovers, etc. because they interfered with my scheduled practices. (SUPPORT) To be fair, my parents thought that being trained in classical music was a form of enlightenment, but what I've learned from reading Plato's allegory is that enlightenment can't be forced; a person must discover it on their own terms. (SUPPORT) When I turned twenty and moved out on my own, I finally bought a drum set. My parents wanted me to be Mozart, but I always identified more with Chad Smith. (CONNECTION) With the first tap of the drum, I felt the shackles coming off; I felt free. (WRAP-UP)
Another tip is to NEVER EVER forget about the THESIS STATEMENT. To make a solid thesis, take key words from the prompt; answer the prompt! You should never state the prompt in the form of the original question, but a reader should be able to surmise what question was asked from the wording of your thesis statement.
Example: If this were your prompt,
Imagine that you are are stuck in Plato's cave. How do you plan to get out? What do you plan to do once you are out? Remember to mix personal narrative with some analysis-- explain the symbolism of the cave and the journey as it applies to the story and then to your life.
then a good thesis (with context) might be:
Plato's cave, from his famous allegory, is a dark place where prisoners are chained to walls, forced only to see shadows on walls in front of them. High school was like that cave, but college will be my path out of it.
Topic statements are equally important. Do not begin a paragraph with a quote, a question, or a generic plot point. Topics are statements that need to be "backed up"-- they require support in terms of examples, explanations, and descriptions. Test your topic by asking yourself if there is more to discuss, more to elaborate. Topics should build, and in the end, you should have a well-rounded discussion of the original thesis point.
Topic one: High school is a shelter built from rules and conformity.
Topic two: If one never unshackles the chains of adolescence, then he or she is doomed, like the prisoners in Plato's cave, to remain stagnate.
Topic three: A college diploma will be my ticket out of the cave; not only will I gain knowledge, but I will learn how to use it as a means of progress for my community.