Andrea Dewar- Essay Outline

8/9/2019 Andrea Dewar- Essay Outline

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Andrea Dewar

Mr. Kemp

ENG 3UI

July 19, 2010

Saint Ralph and Hey Nostradamus! Essay Outline

Thesis:

When faced with a difficult and life changing situation people often turn inwards and find the

only solutions in their own actions, causing isolation and irrationality.

Point 1:

-- People believe that he or she is the only one who can resolve the situation.

Proof:

-- Ralph gave up his regular lifestyle (no running, cursing, sexual feelings, etc.) to become pure

so the miracle can occur (McGowan)

Explanation:

-- Instead of relying on medicine to help his mother he decided that the only way for his mother

to wake up was to win the Boston Marathon

Proof:

-- (When Jason holds Cheryl after she’s dead) “…you keep waiting for their face to come back tolife, their eyes to open. Even with Cheryl cooling in my arms, I didn’t really believe she was

dead. So when an authority figure of proven uselessness told me to let go of the body of my wife,

whose face I knew would reanimate momentarily, my reaction was to stick with my wife,”(Coupland, 64)

Explanation:

-- Jason thinks Cheryl will come back to life if he holds her. His letting go will result in her death



Point 2:

-- People stop having relationships with others after a devastating incident.

Proof:

-- (Jason to Demi about life after the shooting) “I try really hard to join the real world, but itnever seems to work, and lately I think I’ve stopped trying, which scares me more than

anything,” (85)

Explanation:

-- The fact that he is not in the real world means that he is in a world he has created after theshooting. He is alone with his memories. He’s now becoming comfortable with being alone

Proof:

-- (Demi to Jason about life after the shooting) “I stopped trusting people, too, after the

shootings… I didn’t think I’d ever trust again,” (85-86)

Explanation:

-- Without trust, one cannot have meaningful relationships. So any relationships would be only

on a superficial level

Point 3:

-- People think irrationally after the situation

Proof:

-- (Reg’s reaction to Jason killing one of the boys in charge of the massacre) “What I understand

is that my son experienced murder in his heart and chose not to rise above that impulse. Iunderstand that my son is a murderer,” (77)

Explanation:

-- The massacre caused Reg to insult his son, once again, instead of consoling him for the loss of

Cheryl and the traumatic experience he’s just been through. His thoughts about his son that were

already not good were made worse by the shooting



Proof:

-- (Barb after Kent’s death) “Jason, I need to have a baby, and I have to get pregnant right now,”

(138)

Explanation:

-- Barb was in shock from the death of her husband, so was not thinking clearly

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Andrea Dewar- Essay Outline