The Call to Write, Third edition Chapter 17, The Shape of the Essay: How Form Embodies Purpose

Chapter overview  Uses the term “essay” to describe a broad category of writing  Considers form as referring to two aspects (the visual look of a text and its psychological dimension)  Examines three patterns of organization  Looks at introductions, endings, and ways to help connect the parts of the body

Essay  Some debate about the term “essay.”  Some limit it to essays with a personal voice, while others argue for a more open form.  “The defining feature of the essay will be its openness and the flexibility it gives writers to shape their thoughts, feelings, and experiences into written form” (557).

Two aspects of form  The visual look of a text refers to its layout. This includes paragraphs, headers, bullets, font styles, and pagination.  Its psychological dimension refers to the mindset created by the writer, which in turn creates a series of expectations.

Three patterns of organization 1. Top-down order—possibly the most familiar. The main point is presented early on and then developed. 2. Culminating order—almost the opposite; the main point is not stated directly until later on in the essay, but builds up to it. 3. Open form—lets the reader connect the ideas on the basis of dominant impressions.

Sample readings  “I Shop, Ergo I Am: The Mall as Society’s Mirror,” Sara Boxer,  “Minneapolis Pornography Ordinance,” Ellen Goodman,  “Los Angeles Notebook,” Joan Didion,

Form and purpose  See page 568  The text uses the sample readings presented earlier to demonstrate that the pattern of organization used creates a relationship with readers.

Connecting ideas  Topic chains—sample page 574  Transitions—three kinds  Temporal (time)—the next day, that morning  Spatial (helps locate people and things)— around, in the back, at the front, above  Logical—first, second, next, finally

Psychological dimension  Unity: A document has a central point, focus  Coherence: The ideas lead logically from one point to the next  Topic sentences generally appear at the beginning of a paragraph

Techniques for development  Narration: Tells a story  Description: Create word pictures of a scene or a person  Definition: Provide the meaning of a term or a concept

Techniques, continued  Classification: Sorts things or people into groups or categories  Comparison and contrast: Looks at how two things are alike or different

Student Companion Website  Go to the student side of the Web site for exercises, chapter overviews, and links to writing resources for this chapter:  Click on the textbook cover, and then select Student Resources.