Constructing a Response (by page limits; not paragraphs)

Start with a brilliant introduction First know the steps: First know the steps: Creative Opening Creative Opening Connector Connector Topic Topic Opposition Opposition Rebuttal Rebuttal Thesis Thesis

Creative opening  You may start with an interesting fact, statistic, quote, questions, idea, or story.  First think about your topic. What about your topic most interests you?  Now, decide which type of creative opening you are going to select.  If you are using a fact, statistic, definition, or quote be sure to cite that information.  Cite using MLA  Remember, don’t use first or second person pronouns in the creative opening or anywhere in the paper.  For example, a paper about “The Yellow Wallpaper”, might have a creative opening that says:  “The most potent weapon in the hands of an oppressor is the mind of the oppressed” (Stephen Biko).

Connector  The connecting sentence connects the ideas from the creative opening to your topic.  For example, if my creative opening said:  “The most potent weapon in the hands of an oppressor is the mind of the oppressed” (Stephen Biko).  And my topic the mind of our main character period.  My connecting sentence might say:  This proves true in Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper,” where the protagonists’ mind is being enslaved by societal rules.

Topic  Now it is time to define your topic.  Your connector sentence should lead into the topic and definition.  This is where you fully explain what your topic is for your reader.  This is not your thesis statement. You are only explaining what your topic is- not what you are going to prove about it.  If my paragraph begins:  “The most potent weapon in the hands of an oppressor is the mind of the oppressed” (Stephen Biko). This proves true in Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper,” where the protagonists’ mind is being enslaved by societal rules.  My topic sentence might say:  Mind enslavement can be viewed as worse than bodily enslaving, for a person is controlled entirely by another and has no original thoughts. In viewing this story through a psychoanalysis lens, one witnesses her slow decline to control her Superego or decision making abilities.

Opposition and Rebuttal  If my paragraph begins:  The most potent weapon in the hands of an oppressor is the mind of the oppressed” (Stephen Biko). This proves true in Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper,” where the protagonists’ mind is being enslaved by societal rules. Mind enslavement can be viewed as worse than bodily enslaving, for a person is controlled entirely by another and has no original thoughts. In viewing this story through a psychoanalysis lens, one witnesses her slow decline to control her Superego or decision making abilities.  The opposition sentence might say:  Some people believe that losing one’s mind is the result of internal craziness or mental instability.  This sentence rebuttals the opposition statement that you just made..  The rebuttal sentence would say:  However, those people are unaware of what external forces can do to the mind of an oppressed victim.

Thesis  Now we have reached our last sentence: The thesis.  The thesis is the main idea of your paper.  It tells the reader what you are going to prove.  There should be both a “how” and “why” question posed in the thesis.  If my paragraph begins:  The most potent weapon in the hands of an oppressor is the mind of the oppressed” (Stephen Biko). This proves true in Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper,” where the protagonists’ mind is being enslaved by societal rules. Mind enslavement can be viewed as worse than bodily enslaving, for a person is controlled entirely by another and has no original thoughts. In viewing this story through a psychoanalysis lens, one witnesses her slow decline to control her Superego or decision making abilities. Some people believe that losing one’s mind is the result of internal craziness or mental instability. However, those people are unaware of what external forces can do to the mind of an oppressed victim.  My thesis would say:  “The Yellow Wallpaper” as viewed through a psychoanalysis lens, is a prime example of external forces destroying internal decision making and thought process, for as John oppresses his wife, she must falsely live by societies rules or allow her mind to spin wildly creating a world where she cannot be contained.

Now Pose Questions Yes, your thesis statement is set to prove something, but what other questions are posed in your introduction? Like… Yes, your thesis statement is set to prove something, but what other questions are posed in your introduction? Like… Who are the characters? Who are the characters? What is the author’s purpose? What is the author’s purpose? What is the lens you are going to discuss? What is the lens you are going to discuss? What is the term you are going to discuss? What is the term you are going to discuss? Is the author important? Is the author important? Is the plot important? Is the plot important?

What are the questions? Consider this paragraph:  “The most potent weapon in the hands of an oppressor is the mind of the oppressed” (Stephen Biko). This proves true in Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper,” where the protagonists’ mind is being enslaved by societal rules. Mind enslavement can be viewed as worse than bodily enslaving, for a person is controlled entirely by another and has no original thoughts. In viewing this story through a psychoanalysis lens, one witnesses her slow decline to control her Superego or decision making abilities. Some people believe that losing one’s mind is the result of internal craziness or mental instability. However, those people are unaware of what external forces can do to the mind of an oppressed victim. "The Yellow Wallpaper” as viewed through a psychoanalysis lens, is a prime example of external forces destroying internal decision making and thought process, for as John oppresses his wife, she must falsely live by societies rules or allow her mind to spin wildly creating a world where she cannot be contained.

Body Paragraphs  Each body paragraph should answer a question posed from your introduction while proving your thesis statement.  You many have 3 paragraphs; you may have 10. The point is, your body paragraphs are there to serve as answers, not fill space!

Body Paragraphs  Your body paragraphs should include:  Topic Sentence: What question will be answered?  At least two examples/explanation sentences.  You can directly quote the text or summarize what happens in a section. Either way, cite the material with (author’s last name page number). For example (Gilman 3).  Each body paragraph should have a closure statement that tells the “so what” and summarizes the argument of the paragraph above. This sentence should not link or transition to future paragraphs.

Conclusions  Your conclusion, while it may restate your thesis, should not be a complete summary of your paper.  You want to finalize your argument here by stating a new point that without a doubt proves you are correct.  This is where you could discuss the author’s purpose or what would happen if the text was viewed through another lens.  You may also state opinion like comments in this part of the paper.

Don’t do it…  Don’t use first person pronouns (I, me, my, myself, us, we, our, ourselves)  Don’t use second person pronouns (you, your, yours, you’re, yourself)  Don’t have fragments or run- ons  Don’t misspell words  Don’t hand in a paper without proofreading  Don’t forget a title or a heading  Don’t format incorrectly  Don’t forget to cite

Format  Heading:  Your name  Assignment  Miss Contristano  Date  Size 12 Times New Roman Font  Double space; make sure the before and after spacing is set at ‘0’  Include a title  Include last name and page numbers in the upper right hand corner on every page after the first page

How to save…  Gmail  Jump Drive  H Drive