English 2 Honors

Resource Book

I. Themes

A theme is an author’s observation on the truth(s) about life. Since all people experience the same highs, lows, trials, and

tribulations in life, it’s easy to see why the human experience is so relatable. Use this list to see “the big picture” to what

an author is trying to say.

For anything on this list, you must expand one of these kernels. For instance, if I wanted to talk about a theme of The

Island of Doctor Moreau, I’d say that discoveries can oftentimes do more harm than good.

This is NOT a comprehensive list, but it is a nice starting point.

1. Alienation - creating emotional isolation

2. Betrayal - fading bonds of love

3. Birth - life after loss, life sustains tragedy

4. Coming of age - boy becomes a man, girl becomes a woman

5. Conformity - complying with systems, gender roles, social class, traditions

6. Death - death as mystery, death as a new beginning

7. Deception - appearance versus reality

8. Discovery - conquering unknown, discovering strength

9. Duty - the ethics of killing for duty

10. Escape - fleeing from family pressures, avoiding social constraints

11. Family - destruction of family/unification of family through a shared suffering

12. Fortune - a fall from grace and fortune

13. Generation gap - experience versus youthful strength

14. God and spirituality - inner struggle of faith

15. Good and evil - the coexistence of good and evil on earth

16. Guilt – Regretting one’s decisions and seeking redemption

17. Heroism - false heroism (tragic heroes), heroism and conflicting values

18. Home - security of a homestead

19. Hope versus Hopelessness - hope rebounds, losing hope after tragedy

20. Individualism - choosing between the security of conformity and individualism

21. Isolation - the isolation of body and soul

22. Journey - discovery about humanity and/or self

23. Judgment - balance between justice and judgment

24. Loss - loss of innocence, loss of individualism

25. Love - love sustains/fades with a challenge

26. Patriotism - inner conflicts stemming from loyalty to one’s country

27. Peace and war - war is tragic, peace is fleeting

28. Power - Lust for power

29. Race relations - learned racism through belief systems (societal, family, peers)

30. Revenge – the drawbacks of retaliation

31. Sense of self - finding strength from within, courage to find one’s identity

32. Suffering - suffering as a natural part of human experience

33. Survival - man against nature

II. Tone

The general attitude/feeling of the author toward the reader or subject matter. The first question to ask yourself is: if this scene were a color, what color

would it be? Look at an author’s word choice, imagery, and selection of detail to help determine tone.

Positive Tone Words Neutral Tone Words Negative Tone Words Admiring – adoring, respectful Affectionate – caring, warm Appreciative – grateful, thankful Calming – appeasing Cheerful – hopeful, optimistic, sanguineous Comforting – encouraging, soothing Compassionate – benevolent, caring Confident – bold, certain Encouraging – promising, hopeful Happy – jovial Honest – earnest; intense, a sincere state of mind Humorous – amusing, entertaining Imaginative – fanciful, using the imagination Optimistic – hopeful, cheerful, sanguineous Passionate – spirited, emotional Polite – gentle Reflective – contemplative, studying, thinking; illustrating the innermost thoughts and emotions Reverent – treating the subject with honor and respect Respectful – reverent, honorable Scholarly – erudite, learned, polished Sincere – genuine; without deceit or pretense Sympathetic – sensitive, thoughtful, caring Whimsical – odd, strange, fantastic, fun

Commanding – compelling, impressive Direct – honest, straightforward Impartial – detached, fair Indirect – implied Matter-of-fact – accepting of condition; not fanciful or emotional Meditative – pensive, contemplative, reflective Objective – an unbiased view; able to leave personal judgments aside Questioning – analytical Speculative – hypothetical Straightforward – genuine, truthful, to the point Understated – minimized, downplayed

Ambiguous – vague, unclear Angry – choleric, hot-tempered, easily angered; indignant Annoyed – upset, bothered Arrogant – patronizing, condescending, a feeling of superiority Bitter – exhibiting strong animosity as a result of pain or grief Condescending – a feeling of superiority Conventional – lacking spontaneity, originality, and individuality. Critical – finding fault; judgmental; authoritative Demanding – critical, strict Depressed – morose, discouraged Disappointed – defeated, dissatisfied Disrespectful – insulting, rude Gloomy – darkness, sadness, rejection, despondent Hopeless – pessimistic, seeing the worst side of things Hostile – antagonistic, bitter Impatient – anxious, restless Judgmental –authoritative and often having critical opinions Malicious – purposefully hurtful Mocking – derisive, ridiculing; treating with contempt or ridicule Nervous – tense, anxious Offensive – ribald, offensive in speech or gesture Pessimistic – seeing the worst side of things, hopelessness Sad – gloomy, darkness, rejection Sarcastic – caustic, intense use of sarcasm; stinging; sneering Scornful – disdainful Skeptical – doubtful, suspicious Solemn – sad reflection; deeply earnest Suspicious – distrustful, cautious Unfeeling – not caring about the feelings of others

III. Archetypes & Symbols

Archetypes are universal symbols that have been around forever. For instance, in The Adventures of Huckleberry

Finn, when Huck plays a trick on Jim and hides a dead snake in his bedding, it’s not surprising that the snake

represents (and later brings) evil and misfortune. Think of all the places where snakes have been suggested evil

and misfortune: Adam and Eve, the Midgard serpent, Jormungandr, Kaa from the Jungle Book, Quetzalcoatl the

feathered serupet from Mexican mythology, Nagini from Harry Potter, and Cobra from GI Joe to name a few.

Symbols are generally objects (nouns) that an author has represent as something else. An author will usually

return to a symbol again and again to reinforce its meaning and impact upon the story. All archetypes are

symbols, BUT not all symbols are archetypes. For instance, in a movie like The Terminator, robots can

symbolically be seen as a threat to humanity; however, the robot is not an archetype since the concept of a robot

hasn’t existed for nearly as long as the snake from the first example.

Below is a list of common archetypes used in literature. Authors will repeatedly return to these objects because

they have been used over time. It’s their history and our ability to connect with their history that makes them

useful. When these symbols appear, they generally will align with these meanings; however, if an author is

writing ironically, the meaning can shift.

Seasons:

o Spring: youth, newness, birth, starting fresh

o Summer: harmony, perfection, content, prime of life

o Fall: harvest, middle age, ripeness, knowledge

o Winter: death, barren, discontent, running out of time, old age

Colors:

o Black (darkness): chaos, mystery, the unknown, before existence, death, the unconscious, evil

o Red:

Positive: sunrise, birth, emotion, sentiment, mother, excitement, physical stimulation, love

Negative: blood, sacrifice, violent passion, disorder, fire, emotion, wounds, death, anger

o Green:

Positive: hope, growth, Earth, fertility, nature, sympathy, adaptability, life

Negative: envy, death, illness

o White (light): purity, peace, innocence, goodness, morality, creative force, spiritual thought, hope, birth,

snow (positive and negative)

o Orange: fire, pride, ambition, egoism, decay, the season of fall

o Blue: clear sky, the day, water, height, depth, heaven, religious feeling, devotion, innocence, truth,

spirituality, physical soothing and cooling, life

o Purple: nostalgia, memory, royalty, passion, magic, mystery, wealth, power, luxury, ambition

o Gold: Majesty, sun, wealth

o Yellow: friendship, happiness, hope

Elements:

o Fire: rebirth, love, life, control, God, spiritual energy, regeneration

o Water: birth, death, resurrection, purification, fertility, redemption, growth, baptism

Sea: mother of all life, the unconscious, timelessness

River/Streams: baptism, flowing of time, phases of life cycle

Lake: mystery, death, unconscious

Rain: character’s spiritual rebirth, life giver, cleansing

Ice: coldness, barrenness

Snow: barrenness, purity, changes, duplicity

Mist: mystery, sacred

Flood: mankind’s weakness, the great cleansing and rebirth of humans

o Air: breath, freedom, liberty

Wind: Holy Spirit, messenger, change

Fog: confusion

o Earth: passive, feminine, receptive, solid

Journeys:

o Boat: safe passage

o Car/Train: journey through life

o Bridge: change, transformation

o Road/River: change, transformation, adventure, discovery of self and/or humanity

o Door/Gate: change, transformation, new/old opportunities

Flight:

o Bird: freedom, nurture, journey, escape

Feathers: lightness, speed

o Balloon: freedom, childhood, short-lived, journey, escape

o Airplane: journey, technology, freedom, containment, escape

Numbers:

o Three: holy trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit), spiritual awareness, life, growth

o Four: life cycle, four seasons (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter), the four elements, four limbs

o Six: devil, evil

o Seven: perfect order, Divinity (3) + Mankind (4) = relationship between man and God, seven deadly sins,

seven days a week, seven colors of the rainbow, seven gifts of Holy Spirit, lucky

Nature:

o Moon: change, transition

o Clouds: mystery, sacred

o Stars: guidance

o Valley: low points, death, devil, unknown, depression

o Desert: lack of spirituality, death, hopelessness, isolation

o Mountain: height, ambition, goals, loftiness, obstacles

o Garden: paradise, innocence, beauty, fertility

o Sun: creative energy, father figure, passage of time and life, Hero, healing

Rising Sun: birth, creation, enlightenment

Setting Sun: death, destruction

o Lightning: intuition, inspiration, epiphany

o Storms: foreshadow trouble, chaos, destruction, anger

o Trees/Forest: growth, proliferation, life, immortality, tree of life, tree of knowledge, evil, lost, fear

Directions:

o North: darkness, isolation, cold

o South: warmth, adventures, escape

o East: searching out hope, danger

o West: danger, discovery

Miscellaneous:

o Window: discovery of one’s self, freedom, escape

o Mask: concealment, deception

o Cross: the Tree of Life, axis of the world, struggle, martyrdom, orientation in space

o Blindness: seeing things (truth, love, reality, etc)

Literary Terms List

By no means is this a comprehensive list of all literary terms, but this is a good indicator of what types of terms

will appear on your multiple choice questions throughout the year. While it’s not expected that you memorize

this list, as the semester progresses, using this as a resource on tests will slowly disappear.

Absolutes—words free from limitations or qualifications (i.e. best, all, unique, perfect); sentences which use absolutes

show complete certainty on a subject

Ex. F. Scott Fitzgerald was the best writer. All of his books were perfect.

Allegory—a literary work in which characters, objects, or actions represent abstractions (i.e. Animal Farm by George

Orwell is a political allegory for Russia and communism)

Alliteration—the repetition of initial sounds in successive or neighboring words; used to draw attention to certain

aspects of the text

Ex. She shouted and shooed the sheep to the shelter.

Allusion—a reference to something literary, mythological, or historical that the author assumes the reader will

recognize

Ex. Chocolate was her Achilles’s heel.

In this case, it’s assumed that the reader will know about the Trojan War and the Greek warrior Achilles who

was nearly invincible in combat until Paris’s arrow struck him just above the heel and killed him. The allusion is that

someone’s Achilles heel is a great weakness.

Analogy—a comparison of two different things that are similar in some way for the sake of better understanding them

Ex. A doctor diagnoses diseases in the same way that a detective investigates a crime.

This suggests that the doctor is extremely thorough as a detective would be.

Anaphora—the repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of consecutive lines or sentences

Ex. “We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the

streets, we shall fight in the hills…” [From Winston Churchill’s July 18, 1940 speech to the House of Commons regarding

England’s steadfast ways in World War II]

Aphorism—a concise statement that expresses succinctly a general truth or idea, often using rhyme or balance

Ex. A penny saved is a penny earned.

Asyndeton—a construction in which elements are presented in a series without conjunctions [FANBOYS]

Ex. She spoke. She left. The room was silent. Her departure spoke loudly.

In this case, the writer could have combined a lot of these sentences:

She spoke, and then, she left. The room was silent, yet her departure spoke loudly.

The effect of asyndeton is to play with the pacing of the sentence.

Balanced sentence—a sentence in which words, phrases, or clauses are set off against each other to emphasize a

contrast

Ex. The thrill of victory fades with time, but the agony of defeat remains forever.

Cliché—an expression that has been overused to the extent that its freshness has worn off

Ex. Avoid that like the plague!

Connotation—the implied or associative meaning of a word

Ex. The bald eagle flew across the horizon.

Words suggest more than their definition. In this case, the eagle could suggest freedom or patriotism given its

use in American culture. The verb to fly usually suggests the idea of freedom as well.

Cumulative sentence—a sentence in which the main independent clause is elaborated by the successive addition of

modifying clauses or phrases

Ex. He dipped his hands in the bichloride solution and shook them—a quick shake, fingers down, like the fingers

of a pianist above the keys.

The sentence could end after “solution,” but the sentence continues on and on with additional phrases.

Dialect—a variety of speech characterized by its own particular grammar or pronunciation, often associated with a

particular geographical region

Ex. "They hain't no RIGHT to shut him up! SHOVE!—and don't you lose a minute. Turn him loose! He ain't no

slave; he's as free as any creature that walks this earth!"

Here, it’s easy to see that Tom Sawyer speaks with a regional accent. Twain plays with spelling to get the idea of

pronunciation across to the readers. Doing so can provide great insight on setting, social class, and uniqueness of a

character.

Diction—the word choices made by a writer

Ex. The devastation of the earthquake was everywhere: broken buildings, smashed cars, and steaming rubble in

all directions.

In this case , the author uses lots of words with negative connotation to describe the scene. Diction is most

prevalent when looking at an author’s word choice regarding adjectives and verbs.

Deductive reasoning—reasoning in which a conclusion is reached by stating a general principle and then applying that

principle to a specific case; most of the essays you write in class show deductive reasoning. You start with a point you

want to prove (thesis) and then show how it applies throughout the text.

Ex. The sun rises every morning; therefore, the sun will rise on Tuesday morning

Ellipsis—the omission of a word or phrase which is grammatically necessary but can be deduced from the context

Ex. Some people prefer cats; others, dogs.

This example leaves out a verb (prefer) in the 2nd clause.

Euphemism—an indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant

Ex. You’re getting a little thin up top. (bald)

Ex. “I am one, sir, that comes to tell you your daughter and the Moor are now making the beast with two backs.”

[From Act 1, scene i in Othello]

In both cases, the subject matter (going bald and sex respectively) are phrased in a way that is less offensive

than being entirely forthright. Euphemisms generally show up when talking about offensive content (violence and sex)

or when someone is trying to be overly clever.

Expletive—an interjection to lend emphasis; sometimes, a profanity

Ex. He was going to loan me the money—What! My car is gone!

In this case, what is the expletive which captures the shock

Hubris—excessive pride or arrogance that results in the downfall of the protagonist of a tragedy

Ex. King Oedipus in Oedipus Rex and Victor in Frankenstein

Characters who think they are greater than they actually are. Hubris—this excessive pride in oneself—is usually

the cause for a character’s fall

Idiom—an expression in a given language that cannot be understood from the literal meaning of the words in the

expression; or, a regional speech or dialect

Ex. Play your cards right, drive me up the wall, graveyard shift

Imagery—the use of figures of speech to create vivid images that appeal to one of the senses

Inductive reasoning—deriving general principles from particular facts or instances; this is every lab you do in science.

You figure out how something works (general principle) based off the specific labs which you’ve done.

Ex. Every cat I have ever seen has four legs; cats are four-legged animals.

Invective –an intensely vehement, highly emotional verbal attack

Irony—the use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning; or, incongruity between what is expected and

what actually occurs

Juxtaposition—placing two elements side by side to present a comparison or contrast

Ex. “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way…” [From Charles Dickens’s A Tale of Two Cities]

Juxtaposition can be framed at the sentence level (which will usually feature a balanced sentence), or with bigger concepts as in the extreme differences seen between the characterization of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde. They are 2 sides of a coin.

Litotes—a type of understatement in which an idea is expressed by negating its opposite

Ex. It wasn’t a pretty picture.

In this case, when describing something awful, you negate the positive.

Malapropism—the mistaken substitution of one word for another word that sounds similar

Ex. The doctor wrote a subscription.

As opposed a prescription. This technique is used by authors to create comedy.

Metonymy—substituting the name of one object for another object closely associated with it

Ex. The pen [diplomacy] is mightier than the sword [war/fighting]

In this example using words (as seen by pen—something affiliated with words) is more effective than the sword

(violence—something affiliated with sword)

Paradox—an apparently contradictory statement that actually contains some truth

Ex. “I must be cruel to be kind.” [From William Shakespeare’s Hamlet])

Parallel structure—the use of corresponding grammatical or syntactical forms

Ex. Whether at school, at work, or at home, Shasta was always busy.

Flying is fast, comfortable and safe.

In the first example, the prepositional phrases are all the same [at work, at school, at home]: 2 words:

preposition + location.

In the second example, the adjectives which follow are all each 1 word.

Polysyndeton—the use, for rhetorical effect, of more conjunctions that is necessary, or natural

Ex. "Let the whitefolks have their money and power and segregation and sarcasm and big houses and schools

and lawns like carpets, and books, and mostly—mostly—let them have their whiteness."

In this example a lot of conjunctions [and] are used throughout in order to create a piling on effect

Rhetorical question—a question a question asked merely for rhetorical effect and not requiring an answer

Ex. But how can we expect to enjoy the scenery when the scenery consists entirely of garish billboards?

Satire—the use of humor to emphasize human weaknesses or imperfections in social institutions

The Simpsons (early episodes anyway) makes viewers laugh while firmly critiquing the problems of society.

Synecdoche—using one part of an object to represent the entire object

Ex. Referring to a car simply as “wheels”

Synesthesia—describing one kind of sensation in terms of another

Ex. His shirt was a loud yellow color.

In this example a visual object (shirt) is described with auditory words (loud)

Understatement—the deliberate representation of something as lesser in magnitude that it actually is; a deliberate

under-emphasis

Ex. When describing WWII, a few men died.

This completely underscores the violence seen during the war and all of the lives which were lost.

How to Write an Analysis Essay

Directions: Read Edward Prendick’s final thoughts from HG Wells’s The Island of Doctor Moreau and determine whether

Beast Folk and people are indeed the same or in actuality, quite different and what this suggests about humanity.

Consider selection of detail, diction, figurative language, symbolism, and syntax when constructing your response.

You should be able to identify an analysis prompt because it provides a passage to utilize for seeking out Evidence to answer the question. The prompt itself should provide you with WHAT you are proving (Purpose) and potentially some means of analysis (diction, figurative language, symbolism) that may guide your search.

Introduction The introductory paragraph to an analysis essay is usually brief. However, it must contain some essential information. Here is an example introduction paragraph from the previous passage and prompt: “Monkey see Monkey do,” an idiom from the 1920s, is a clever way to express how one learns through mimicry without

actually thinking. At its core, this expression comes from monkeys and their way of copying each other’s behavior;

however, humanity possesses this do-without-thinking trait too, exposing man’s baseness and simplicity. Although

scientists continue to seek the missing link between apes and man, they can stop, for there is no difference. In HG

Wells’s The Island of Doctor Moreau, the author’s use of diction and symbolism portray Beast Folk and people as the

same, expressing the idea that humanity has lost its sense of humanity.

The above Introduction paragraph has 3 major components:

1.) Attention – Getter 2.) Bridge information 3.) Thesis Sentence

Attention-Getter: This needs to be quick, especially in a timed setting. Building a metaphor, using an idiom or famous quote, or telling a quick, anecdotal story are all useful means of grabbing the reader’s attention. “Monkey see Monkey do,” an idiom from the 1920s, is a clever way to express how one learns through mimicry without actually thinking. Bridge Information: This is where you explain the significance or purpose of your Attention-Getter. Never assume the reader is thinking as you are: show the connection between your start and the prompt you are about to answer. .At its core, this expression comes from monkeys and their way of copying each other’s behavior; however, humanity possesses this do-without-thinking trait too, exposing man’s baseness and simplicity. Although scientists continue to seek the missing link between apes and man, they can stop, for there is no difference. ***Thesis: This is the single sentence that drives the entire paper. *** In HG Wells’s The Island of Doctor Moreau, the author’s use of diction and symbolism portray Beast Folk and people as

the same, expressing the idea that humanity has lost its own humanity.

In 1 sentence you must articulate the following: - Author - Title of work - Means of analysis (what tools you’ll use to answer the prompt) - Central question(s) of the prompt

o This will always return back to the idea of theme

Body This is the analysis part. This is where you include a detailed explanation of strategies used by the author in order to answer the prompt. Every analysis paragraph MUST:

A Main Idea sentence which contains the means of analysis and fully answers the prompt

A transition to introduce Evidence

Direct Quotes taken from the passage which conform to MLA expectations and aligns with the Main Idea

Links (an explanation) as to how the means of analysis help answer all facets of the prompt It helps a lot to organize your body paragraphs in MELLELL-Con format. Here is an example of one body paragraph from the prompt above: Wells utilizes diction to suggest that Beast Folk and people are indeed the same, thereby illustrating that humanity has lost its own humanity. For instance, Wells’s use of diction is fitting of an animal when Edward Prendick describes himself as he floats abandoned in the sea before his rescue as “unclean” (Line 2) and his hair as “a black tangle” (Lines 3). These words vividly capture Prendick’s filthy and animal-like appearance after his time spent away from civilization. Even though Prendick is human, a yearlong leave from society is all it takes for him to lose the civility and cleanliness that separates humans from animals. In this way, Wells captures the idea that humanity may easily lose its own humanity since the separation of beast and man is virtually nonexistent. Further exemplifying this loss of humanity is Wells’s use of “prowling” and “mew” (Line 37) to describe society’s behavior upon Prendick’s return. These words connote animal behavior, specifically in cats, portraying man and animal as again, quite similar. In doing so, the distinction between man and animal fades away; humanity has lost its own humanity and therefore must toil in the mud of life like the rest of the beasts. Altogether, Wells’s diction highlights the commonality seen between beast and man, and not surprisingly, effuses the loss which naturally comes with.

1. Main Idea: The first sentence of your body paragraph identifies which section of the text you are discussing and

the main idea of that section.

(Writer’s last name) utilizes (rhetorical device) to (answer all facets of prompt—characterization & theme in this example)

Wells utilizes diction to suggest that Beast Folk and people are indeed the same, thereby illustrating that humanity

has lost its own humanity.

2. Evidence: Your first example that supports your main idea must use a Direct Quote which takes information

directly from the passage, looking as follows:

(Transition into the quote), (context),(direct quote) (parenthetical citation).

For instance, Wells’s use of diction is fitting of an animal when Edward Prendick describes himself as he floats

abandoned in the sea before his rescue as “unclean” (Line 2) and his hair as “a black tangle” (Lines 3).

3. Link 1: Explain how the rhetorical device helps the writer achieve his purpose by using an in order to statement.

This should be directly answering the prompt.

These words vividly capture Prendick’s filthy and animal-like appearance after his time spent away from

civilization. Even though Prendick is human, a yearlong leave from society is all it takes in order to lose the civility

and cleanliness that separates humans from animals.

4. Link 2: Pull back the camera lens and see the big picture. What is the writer saying about society? For our

purposes, your Link 2 will always reflect back to theme.

In this way, Wells captures the idea that humanity may easily lose its own humanity since the separation of beast

and man is virtually nonexistent.

How to Write an Argumentative Essay

Things you must know in order to accurately write an argumentative essay:

Directions: Defend, challenge, or qualify the following statement: Scientists have gone too far in their pursuit of knowledge.

You should be able to recognize an argument prompt because of 2 factors:

1.) Defend, Challenge, Qualify – These words indicate that as a writer, you will need to pick a stance when responding to this question

2.) There is no passage to draw Evidence from Introduction: Scientists are birthday cakes. Although each may provide the world with delicious treats, too much of a good thing can create some problems. Science, for all of the healing and breakthroughs it has provided, has simultaneously pushed the world to the brink of extinction time and time again. When wielded by the irresponsible hands of men, science, despite the good it has yielded, always devolves into a weapon; therefore, scientists have gone too far in the pursuit of knowledge they have unleashed new evils upon the world and have lost all sense of morality. All of the pieces of an Analysis Introduction apply 1.) Attention-Getter

2.) Bridge Information 3.) Thesis

Attention-Getter: Scientists are birthday cakes. This example uses a metaphor to grab readers’ attention. It’s clearly rooted to the subject matter and flashes a little style because of the unorthodoxy of the metaphor.

Bridge Information: Although each may provide the world with delicious treats, too much of a good thing can create some problems. Science, for all of the healing and breakthroughs it has provided, has simultaneously pushed the world to the brink of extinction time and time again. This information explains the Attention-Getter. In this way, scientists—who are regarded as good for their pursuit of knowledge—can actually be bad because of what they find with that knowledge much like cake is good in small doses, but with too much, one can get sick. Even before getting to the thesis, it should be apparent that the stance will be agreeing that science can go too far. Thesis: …despite the good it has yielded, always devolves into a weapon; therefore, scientists have gone too far in the pursuit of knowledge they have unleashed new evils upon the world and have lost all sense of morality. The Thesis again packages all the vital information the paper will discuss. It contains:

- A look at the opposite stance (science has yielded good) - A stance: in this case, the writer defends (agrees) with the prompt - 2 claims: the reasons why the writer believes scientists have gone too far

o Science has gone too far because it has unleashed new evils o Science has gone too far because it has lost its sense of morality

All of this information is packaged into 1 sentence. Body Paragraphs: This is where you need to argue your stance. Why did you defend/challenge the side you did? Scientists, despite their best efforts to improve the world, have in actuality, pushed the envelope too far with their studies unearthing new evils in the world. For instance, while coming up with weapons to defeat the Axis Powers, American scientists discovered the nuclear bomb. While the bomb certainly was a breakthrough in discovery, the ugliness and devastation within its mushroom cloud wake and the shadow it has cast over warfare and the Japanese population since the 1940s looms menacingly. Science, for all of its intellectual pursuits, gave access to widespread destruction with its discovery, making society pine for a simpler, intellectually-blunted time. Even worse, scientists refuse to fully eradicate the polio virus under the guise of scientific studies. Polio, a once horrific disease which crippled its victims, including the renowned FDR, could have been laid to rest once and for all; however, scientists continue to meddle with its existence, opening the door to future terrorist attacks now that most people are not vaccinated against polio. When the World Health Organization recommends countries stockpile polio vaccines because of the threat of a new outbreak, it’s hard to recognize good outweighing evil. Man’s lust for knowledge will one day bury him, for science cannot control all that it creates. All body paragraphs will contain:

1.) Main Idea which supports the claim 2.) Evidence—information (historical events, currents events, literary works, personal experiences) which

support your stance 3.) Warrant – an explanation as to why your Evidence backs your claim

Main Idea

Scientists, despite their best efforts to improve the world, have in actuality, pushed the envelope too far with their studies

unearthing new evils in the world.

The Main Idea must address the prompt (science going too far) and provide the claim (science unearthing evil)

Evidence

For instance, while coming up with weapons to defeat the Axis Powers, American scientists discovered the nuclear bomb.

(Transition) + Context + Evidence

Here, the writer uses the back drop of WWII (context) to establish how the nuclear bomb is an example of how studies

can go too far and actually create something evil.

Warrant (Links)

While the bomb certainly was a breakthrough in discovery, the ugliness and devastation within its mushroom cloud wake

and the shadow it has cast over warfare and the Japanese population since the 1940s looms menacingly. Science, for all

of its intellectual pursuits, gave access to widespread destruction with its discovery, making society pine for a simpler,

intellectually-blunted time.

The links discuss the evil of the nuclear bomb: its slaughter of people and even worse, the fear and implications it carries

when man’s irresponsibility creeps up again. With more and more countries possessing this man-made evil, living in

ignorance seems preferable to digging for information and finding the bomb.