The Personal Essay

An essay is an “attempt” to persuade someone to your opinion on asubject. (“essai” is French for attempt)

It is an opinion derived from your own experiences in life (unlike the literary essay which asks for your opinion about a piece of literature).

The structure of essays are in three parts:Introduction

BodyConclusion

Thesis

The thesis is the main point of the essay. It is often indicated in the introduction.

The body contains material (examples, narratives, descriptionsanalogies, reasonings etc. to support the thesis.

Note: you may have a strong thesis, but a pesonal essay doesnot try to prove anything.

rhetoric

Rhetoric is the art of persuasion through language. It is the art of using language effectively.

Rhetoric particularly involves the following:

Diction: Word Choice

Syntax Word Order

That aforementioned example of preternatural sloth has finally commenced work on his given task in expectation

of the arrival of his teacher now imminent with the cessation of the recess interregnum.

Consider the pink example in terms of diction and syntax

Consider what “audience” and “tone” mean and howthey could help in discussing the pink example.

Lazy old John finally started his assigned work, knowing that his teacher would soon return from the recess break.

Lazy old John finally started his assigned work, knowing that his teacher would soon return from the recess break.

Knowing that his teacher would soon return from his recess break, lazy old John started his assigned work.

Priscilla killed him with a hammer blow to the temple, having first prepared herself a nice hot chocolate

accompanied by two oatmeal cookies.

Having first prepared herself a nice hot chocolate accompanied by two oatmeal cookies,

Priscilla killed him with a hammer blow to the temple.

Tone, Voice & Audience

With the utmost disdain for suffering, the cruel Cornwallplucked out the eye of the hapless Gloucester.

Darned if that rotten Cornwall didn’t seem to be downright thrilled to be yanking out poor Gloucester’s eye.

How heartwrenching it was to see dear loyal Gloucesterlose his eyes to that beastly Cornwall.

Man what blood. That was so cool to see the eye pop out like that. That poor old buzzard was blind as a bat!

A good essay is like a wheel

Examples

Thesis

Bent or loose or broken spokes make for a weak wheel.

A bad essay would be a mere collection of spokes.

A Good Essay:

Informs

A good essay demonstrates:

clarity

unity

conciseness

coherence

emphasis

AND Entertains

A Topic is Not a Thesis

Smoking

Smoking is for idiots.

Smoking is widespread among young people.

Smoking and creativity go together.

A Thesis must be a statement expressing an opinion

Smoking is an example of man’s essential idiocy, an instinct for self-destruction, a desire to return to the womb, an embracing of chaos, and a refusal of life.

Smoking reveals the human instinct for freedom and opposes those who demand that pleasure be postponed. It is the refusal of “common sense” and authority. It is

a life-embracing anarchy which refuses society’s instinctto make all ordered and uniform. It demands quality, not

quantity, adventure, not protection.

Extended Thesis

9 Rhetorical Approaches to Essay Design

1.Narrative: story as illustration of thesis

2. Description:the power of imagery

3. Cause & Effect: giving reasons why

4. Example: loading up with colour commentary

5. Comparison/Contrast: 2 the same or different

6. Classification: counting the kinds –3 or more

7. Analogy & Metaphor: “It’s like…”

8. Process Analysis: The How to… Essay

9. Extended Definition: Exploring Abstractions

Criteria for marking essays:

Unity/Coherence/Clarity/Conciseness/Emphasis

Sentence structure: fragments/splices/run-ons

Punctuation: esp. quotation marks & apostrophe

Details: moving from the general to the specific.

Appropriate language: audience/voice/tone/usage

Imagination: like the short story or poem-you must entertain

Spelling: use your dictionary (I do)

Essay Writing Tips

Find a thesis and stick to it.

Find a thesis with a bite: beware of arguing the obvious

Don’t stretch single ideas too far unless you are developing them

Avoid the passive voice; use the active voice

Root the essay in specifics; don’t stay in the clouds.

Never say: “in my opinion”/ “I think” / “the way I see it..”

Avoid the gratuitous “I” and all first person pronouns.

Pre-Writing: 4 questions

Why am I writing?

How big is my topic?

What message am I sending?

Who is my audience?

Introductions: PossibilitiesIntroductions: Possibilities

Reveal the thesis (thesis statement)

Background information

Anecdote

Quotation or allusion

Sensory images

A striking comparison or contrast

Figures of speech

Unusual/puzzling statement

In conclusion

Reference to opening

?Question?

Drawingconclusions

Quotation

Transition signals

summary

Revealing significance

Contrast/reversal(irony)

Assignment

• Write a personal essay of 500-750 words on a topic/thesis of your own choice.

• Appendix must follow containing: 1) title / source/ thesis / rhetorical model

of 2 TWO essays found by you 2) Thesis statement of your own essay

and explanation of 2 rhetorical models used in your own essay.