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The Hobbit Essay

The Hobbit Essay. INTRODUCING YOUR ARGUMENT: How do we “hook” the reader?

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The Hobbit Essay

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  1. The Hobbit Essay INTRODUCING YOUR ARGUMENT: How do we “hook” the reader? • First, admit that it is impossible to say or do or write anything that will interest everybody. With that out of the way, the question once again becomes : “Who is my audience and what can I do that will secure the interest of this particular group of readers?"

  2. The Hobbit Essay Anecdote:Begin a paper by relating a small story that leads into the topic of your paper. If you do it right, your story will capture the reader's interest so that he or she will continue to read your paper. One caution: be sure that your story does not take over the paper. Remember, it is an introduction, not the paper.For The Hobbit, this could be a small, engaging anecdote from the novel itself.

  3. The Hobbit Essay Define your terms:If your paper is exploring a big, but potentially vague concept like “justice” or “fear” or “isolation,” then you should explain how you define these terms. Do not simply provide a definition from a dictionary. Exploring the general ideas, problems, and questions surrounding your “concept” can be an interesting opening to your essay.

  4. The Hobbit Essay Counter-Argument: • First, imagine a skeptical reader, or cite an actual source, who proposes an alternative interpretation. • Second, show why this first argument is mistaken or invalid and then explain why your own argument is a better alternative.

  5. The Hobbit Essay Concluding Your Essay: • Point out an example from the novel that does NOT fit with your argument. What NEW questions does this contradiction raise for you? • Point out an alternative way of addressing the big idea you’re exploring. • Address some of the larger consequences of this big idea (don’t just list off contemporary examples) • Where would you go next? How has this paper complicated the text rather than simplified it? What questions are you left with?

  6. The Hobbit Essay Concluding Your Essay: A concluding paragraph also offers you the opportunity to: • Experiment with your writing style: repetition, long vs. short sentences, etc. This can add a type of poignancy and emotion to your paper. • Mention yourself as a writer (use “I”) and your own personal involvement with these ideas (your final struggles, questions, etc.)

  7. The Hobbit Essay • Work on developing effective introduction and conclusion paragraphs for your essay • Ask yourself or a classmate… • Is your argument (thesis) clear and specific? • Does every sentence in the essay in some way contribute to the development of your argument? • After you use a quotation, do you devote several sentences to analyzing this quote’s significance? • Do you fully explain how your textual evidence ties back to your argument?

  8. The Hobbit Essay Homework: • Bring a typed, stapled copy of your paper to class tomorrow—this is not a “rough” draft. It should be proofread, spellchecked, etc.

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