It’s Quick!

It’s Easy!

It’s Fun!

Well….. Maybe not Fun…

Your Mission...

Write a multi-paragraph essay comparing and/or contrasting the use of archetypes in the Sumerian poetry to the movie Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark.

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The Basics of the Essay• Set up the paper

according to the Multi-paragraph structure.

• Rather than each idea getting one sentence, each gets a paragraph.

• Coming up with a strong outline helps you keep your paper organized.

Venn Diagrams/Prewriting

• You can visualize what you’re comparing/ contrasting by using a Venn diagram.

• How you fill out the Venn diagram determines how you will set up the outline of your essay.

Setting Up the Outline:Three Ways to Write the Essay

• T: A really, really good thesis.

• D: Similarity 1• D: Similarity 2• D: Similarity 3• C: A really,

really good conclusion.

• T: A really, really good thesis.

• D: Difference 1• D: Difference 2• D: Difference 3• C: A really,

really good conclusion.

•T: A really, really good thesis.•D: Poem•D: Movie•C: A really, really good conclusion.

The Thesis

• The thesis sentence provides a blueprint for the entire essay. It provides both the FOCUS of the essay and the Controlling Ideas, which limit the scope of the essay

A thesis is NOT:• A Question•A Statement of purpose.

•The purpose of this essay is to…

•A narrative, descriptive sentence.

Sooooo….What IS a thesis, you ask????

A Thesis IS...

… a detailed, expository sentence which sets up the structure of the argument, points toward the conclusion and clarifies your position for your audience.

Although 3,800 years separate their creations, The Epic of Gilgamesh and Raiders of the Lost Ark have remarkable similarities in their use of imagery, the hero, and the hero’s quest, demonstrating that the ancient archetypes still tell us about the human condition today.

Example:

Where do you put the thesis statement?

This depends on the assignment, but in most cases, the best place is at the end of the introduction. Start your subject broad, then work your way to your specific thesis.

The Body Paragraphs

• Detail paragraphs provide the supports for your thesis statement. Your details should be found in that thesis statement.

• Use PLENTY of Quotes from the works to support your thesis.

• To provide sufficient detail, each body paragraph needs:– A topic sentence.– Several supporting

specific details from the works.

– Transitions to help your paragraph flow

– A concluding sentence

• Obviously, this will take a significant number of sentences!

The Conclusion

• The conclusion is the most difficult part of the essay to explain…but

• A good conclusion… Highlights, but does NOT restate, the thesis Shows the subject in a larger context (What

makes the subject important?).

• Consider the conclusion to be like a satellite photograph. It looks over the specific points of your essay, but it puts them in a much broader context.

It’s

That

Easy!!!

How to Avoid Failing this Assignment• Do NOT make careless proofreading errors. I don’t

want to have to do your spell checking or grammar proofing. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

• Do NOT rehash the plot of the works. We’ve all read the poem and seen the movie. Only use the plot to support your points. DO NOT RETELL THE PLOT! Remember the math: Plot Summary = F.

• Do NOT use first person--no “I think. . . “ or “I believe. . . “ If you write these or any other related phrases, I will CROSS THEM OUT!! So, save me the trouble and don’t use them.

• Here’s a really important one--DO NOT SIMPLY SAY, “The epic is similar to and different than the movie.” This thesis, or anything like it, says NOTHING.

The Bottom Line...

• WHAT: A multi-paragraph essay, typed, double spaced, one-inch margins.

• HOW: Black ink, “Plain” font large enough to read.

• WHEN: Drafts will be due...

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