The Perfect Essay

Journey into the Unknown

Source: Mr. Leal

Introduction

Presents the subject of the essay

Responds to the prompt

Proceeds from general to specific

3-6 sentences

Ends in thesis statement

Strong, academic diction

Thesis Statement

Central focus for essayArgumentative- establishes what you’re going to proveResponds to promptNot a listGoes beyond classroom discussion

Body Paragraphs

Logical steps in a complete argument

Solid topic sentence

Smooth transitions, when necessary

Concrete details (quotation/evidence) set up correctly

Profound and insightful analysis of evidence

C-SEE or Evidential Block

C = Claim

S = Set-Up

E = Evidence

E = Explanation

C = Claim

Topic sentence for the paragraph

NOT summary or quotation

Proves / supports your Thesis Statement

Can be more than one sentence

Ex.: The museum represents Holden’s desire for childhood innocence.

S = Set-up

Gives the context for your quotation / evidence

Can be more than one sentence

Must be punctuated properly

“,” Use comma after dialogic set-up

“:” Use colon after independent clause set-up

Ex. Holden finds comfort and stability in the museum, because unlike Holden, it is a place that never changes:

E = Evidence

MUST NOT be merely summary“Holden went to the Natural History Museum”

MUST relate to your thesis statement and/or claimMUST have page or line referenceEx.: “The best thing though, in that museum was that everything always stayed right where it was” (121).

E = ExplanationNever assume that the connection between you Evidence and Thesis is obvious to the reader.Do the work of explaining HOW the quotation PROVES your claimShould be 1:5 ratio with quotationEx.: If Holden never changed, and he were able to remain in childhood forever, he wouldn’t be experiencing all the growing pains he’s now enduring. The museum represents his attachment to childhood, the time in life before things started to change and get so complicated. Holden believes that if life were like the museum and never changed, he wouldn’t be so conflicted. Holden’s appreciation of the museum shows that he desires permanence and stability.

Example of Evidential Block

C: Mr. Leal is mentally unstable.S: After class yesterday,E: Mr. Leal was sitting in the corner, rocking back and forth and drooling all over himself.E: For the average adult, sitting in a corner and drooling on oneself indicates that all is not well mentally and emotionally. Usually, we refer people with these symptoms to psychiatric care. We do not put them in charge of American teenagers.

Example of Evidential Block

C: Mr. Leal dominates on the basketball court.S: I talked to one of my friends this morning who tried to play defense against him, and he said,E: “Mr. Leal scored 43 points off me yesterday, draining threes, slamming on my head, and faking me out of not only my shoes but my socks, too!”E: Anyone who can score 43 points in one game is pretty good. My friend has always been recognized as a great defender, so if anyone scores off him, they’re doing pretty well. Furthermore, we can agree that any player who can fake his defender out of his socks and his shoes clearly dominates. [etc.]

Example of Evidential Block

C: Simba matures physically, but, more importantly, he has grown emotionally over the course of the story.S: At the end of the story,E: Simba confronts Scar and the evil hyenas.E: Though it is significant that Simba confronts his enemies physically, it is more important that he no longer runs from his problems but faces up to his mistakes of the past. He admits to the truth of his father’s death, accepting responsibility in a new and healthy manner. Furthermore, he demonstrates his inherently heroic nature by confronting the enemies of his civilization in a way others have been unable to.

Example of Evidential Block

C: The narrator of Green Eggs and Ham changes for the better.S: At the conclusion of the epic, the narrator exclaims,E: “I do so like / green eggs and ham! / Thank you! Thank you, / Sam-I-am!” (62).E: The narrator’s gratitude reflects his inner emotional growth. He has discovered that trying new things might be better than sticking to his old, uninspired ways. Though he has been resistant to Sam-I-am throughout most of the text, here, at the end, he relents to Sam-I-am’s indefatigable pressure to stretch his boundaries. After a person extends himself, he often feels better about himself, even though it might have been difficult and uncomfortable initially.

Conclusion

3-6 sentences, reversing the funnel of the introduction.

Specific to general

Profound insights

Rewording of the thesis

Hardest paragraph to write

Least important

For the Perfect Essay, you need…

Skill

Practice

Forward-looking perspectivethinking, planning, and practicing

Sentence variety

Vocabulary growth

Philosophical and academic maturity