Writing the Essay: First Steps

Writing the Essay: First Steps

Step 0: Brainstorm

Look at the passages you have collected for your essay. Then, free-write about your topic.

What do you think the answers to some of the ‘think about’ questions are? What do you think is the answer to the overall essay question? Why?

Do not worry about coherence right now – just write as much about the topic as you possibly can.

Writing Notes

Thesis: The main argument of the essay. It is typically placed as the last sentence of the introductory paragraph.

Unified Thesis: A unified thesis clearly argues for one main idea that the rest of the essay will try to prove.

Blueprint: The part of a thesis that shows the reader the different ways you will prove your main argument.

Creating a Thesis:

Step 1: Review the essay question that you are writing about. Read through the passages that you have selected. Write down a brief, one-sentence, answer to the essay question – this is your provisional thesis.

“Use of Force” – Sample Essay

Essay Topic: Is William Carlos Williams suggesting that the doctor in “Use of Force” is a positive or a negative example of an authority figure?

List of Quotes:

“an unusually attractive little thing, and as strong as a heifer in appearance” (229).

“At that I ground my teeth in disgust” (230).

“Don’t call me a nice man to her. I’m here to look at her throat on the chance that she might have diptheria” (230).

“Then the battle began. I had to do it.” (231).

“I had already fallen in love with the savage brat” (231).

“the parents were contemptible to me. In the ensuing struggle they grew more abject, crushed, exhausted” (231).

“she surely rose to magnificent heights of insane fury” (231)

“I wanted to kill him” (231).

“I also had grown furious – at a child. I tried to hold myself down but I couldn’t” (231).

“We’re going to go through with this. The child’s mouth was already bleeding…and she was screaming in wild hysterical shrieks” (233).

“Perhaps I should have desisted and come back in an hour or more. No doubt it would have been better” (232).

“I could have torn the child apart in my own fury and enjoyed it. It was a pleasure to attack her. My face was burning with it” (232).

“But a blind fury, a feeling of adult shame, bred of a longing for muscular release are the operatives. One goes on to the end” (232).

“I overpowered the child’s neck and jaws. I forced the silver spoon back…down her throat till she gagged” (232).

“tears of defeat blinded her eyes” (232).

Step 1: Provisional Thesis

William Carlos Williams suggests that the doctor is a negative example of an authority figure.

Step 2: Come up with three big reasons that will help you prove your argument.

This can happen two different ways. You can brainstorm for reasons first, and then figure out which passages would help you prove each reason.

Or, you can group your passages first, and then see if that helps you figure out reasons that support your thesis.

Group passages together that you feel are similar. Use a system to clearly distinguish between the groups (1s, 2s, 3s, As, Bs, Cs, Suns, Moons, Stars, etc.).

Please Note: This step is sometimes very hard. Do your best, and feel free to keep changing your groupings until you are happy.

Step 2: Create Groups of Passages

List of Quotes:

(A) “an unusually attractive little thing, and as strong as a heifer in appearance” (229).

(A) “At [the mother’s comment] I ground my teeth in disgust” (230).

“Don’t call me a nice man to her. I’m here to look at her throat on the chance that she might have diptheria” (230).

(B) “Then the battle began. I had to do it.” (231).

(A) “I had already fallen in love with the savage brat” (231).

(A) “the parents were contemptible to me. In the ensuing struggle they grew more abject, crushed, exhausted” (231).

(B) “she surely rose to magnificent heights of insane fury” (231)

© “I wanted to kill him” (231).

© “I also had grown furious – at a child. I tried to hold myself down but I couldn’t” (231).

(B) or (c) “We’re going to go through with this. The child’s mouth was already bleeding…and she was screaming in wild hysterical shrieks” (233).

“Perhaps I should have desisted and come back in an hour or more. No doubt it would have been better” (232).

© “I could have torn the child apart in my own fury and enjoyed it. It was a pleasure to attack her. My face was burning with it” (232).

© “But a blind fury, a feeling of adult shame, bred of a longing for muscular release are the operatives. One goes on to the end” (232).

© “I overpowered the child’s neck and jaws. I forced the silver spoon back…down her throat till she gagged” (232).

(B) “tears of defeat blinded her eyes” (232).

Step 3: Try to give a clear and concise name to each group. This name should demonstrate the connection between the passages, and it should be something that helps prove your thesis.

Step 3: Name those groups!

A.)Disrespect towards clients

B.)Competition rather than attempt at healing

C.)Aggression

Step 4: Use the names of the groups to create a blueprint for your paper. Write a sentence that smoothly combines your provisional thesis and blueprint.

Step 4: Thesis and Blueprint

Provisional thesis (italics) plus Blueprint (bold)

In “Use of Force,” William Carlos Williams suggests that the doctor is a negative authority figurebecause the doctor disrespects those he serves, inappropriately views his profession as a competition, and uses his position as an outlet for his aggression.

Step 5: Change your thesis or blueprint if new and better ideas occur to you. Don’t “stay with a losing horse.”