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The Odyssey Essay: THE INTRODUCTION

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1 The Odyssey Essay: THE INTRODUCTION
The function of the introduction is to serve as a map of the essay, outlining to your reader the main argument and points which you plan to develop in your essay. Most introductions begin with an orientation in the form of a brief general statement that leads the reader into the topic, showing the specific topic relates to the bigger issues or to the discipline or field the paper belongs to. This is followed by the thesis statement, which is your concise response to the essay question, then an outline of the argument presented in the essay. You may find it useful to think of an essay’s introduction as funnel shaped moving from the general to the specific.

2 Your First Sentence or two…
To get your paper off to a great start, you should try to have a first sentence that engages your reader. Think of your first sentence as a hook drawing your reader in. It is your big chance to be so clever that your reader can’t stop reading.

3 Next…the work Introduce your work: …Roy Thomas’ adaptation of Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey… and a statement describing the essence of the story(i.e. a one line summary of the plot).

4 Next… Thesis ….and State your arguments without going into detail or referring to the story. You’re supposed to go from general to specific (save the specifics for the body paragraphs).

5 Essay Question: Dynamic characters learn and grow as a result of their experiences. Has Odysseus learned anything on his journey home from Troy?

6 Draft of Introduction (1) Conflict is the essential driving force behind good literature. The most profound conflicts take place within the protagonist and often result in a change of character. (2) In Roy Thomas’ graphic novel adaptation of Homer’s The Odyssey, the protagonist, Odysseus, undergoes many tests during his quest to return home. (3) Through the course of the story, Odysseus changes from a man plagued with hubris to a man who’s learned humility. (4) Odysseus demonstrates this personal transformation through his interactions with the gods, his willingness to ask for help, and by overcoming his need for kleos.

7 Writing the Body Paragraphs

8 The Odyssey Quotation search
For each argument you must find support from your primary source, in our case, Homer’s The Odyssey, by Roy Thomas. Find specific quotations from the graphic novel: (six in total) Explain the context in the story (what is happening) Accurately write it out and note the pages How and why it connects to your respective argument and further supports your thesis.

9 Tips: Quote only sentences, passages, or words that are especially succinct, memorable, or powerful. If a quotation is long, or you can say it better or more concisely, paraphrase it (restate it in your own words). Remember, you must indicate a source even when paraphrasing. Keep paraphrasing to a minimum because it is your ideas, your argument, that counts to convince your readers.

10 Getting Your Introduction Started
Thesis: ______________________________________________ Argument #1 _____________________________________________ Argument #2 Argument #3

11 Argument 1: Proof 1 Context: when is this happening?
___________________________________________ Support #1 The Odyssey reference or direct quote ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________(page ) How and why it supports your argument: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

12 Argument 1 cont’d Argument 1: Proof 2 Context: when is this happening?
____________________________________________________________________________________________ Support #2 The Odyssey reference or direct quote __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________(page ) How and why it supports your argument: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

13 Between your body paragraphs:
Between your body paragraphs, have a transition sentence which: 1) Summarizes the point you’ve made in this paragraph… and… 2) Reveals what you’ll be discussing in the next paragraph Remember: you only need a concluding sentence after your third paragraph since there is no fourth body paragraph.

14 The Conclusion: To start off your conclusion, you should have a phrase which lets your reader know that the paper is coming to an end. You may begin with the tried and true “In conclusion,”although that gets pretty boring after a while. Experiment with constructions such as: At the end of the day… In the final analysis… To conclude… It may be said… (or some combination thereof)

15 The Conclusion cont’d…
Restate your thesis and summarize your three proofs. In order to make it sound creative, you may fiddle with the wording (as long as the meaning doesn’t change). Leave the reader with a thought for further study. Do not: Bring up new information in the conclusion Include a quotation Change your thesis or look at the question from the opposite perspective

16 Important Notes: Quotations don’t have to be the words that a character directly says. The narrator can be quoted as well. Do not use I, we, you, or any variation thereof in the paper. You can express your ideas without using these constructions. Also, you are to remain professionally distant, and shouldn’t be presenting information as though it’s your opinion anyway. No contractions or slang (don’t = do not) Write in the present tense (every time you open the book, the events happen over and over again). At the end of the sentence you’re including your quotation in, write down the author’s name and the page number eg. (Thomas 25). Have a creative title that summarizes your thesis (i.e. Not just the title of the novel, or “Odyssey essay”) Whenever you write down the title of the work, you must italicize or underline it.

17 Important notes cont’d…
You do not require a title page in MLA format. Simply place the following information in the upper left hand corner: Your name The instructor’s name The course code (ENG 2D) The date you submitted the paper (12 May, 2014) In the upper right hand corner of all pages after the first, you must write your last name and the page number. You do require a Work Cited page: Eg. Thomas, Roy. The Odyssey. Marvel Publishing, Inc., New York, NY., USA


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