Course
Documents

Course Links
Lesson Plans
Course Documents Links
Home Page

Quick Links
Library Links
Citing Sources

Body Paragraph Overview and Topics

Topic Listing

These paragraphs serve two purposes: they give you a chance to compose your thoughts on the work, and they help you practice writing concise body paragraphs -- the basic component of the essays you'll be writing later this semester. Each of your paragraphs should work as an independent body paragraph: think of them as part of a larger essay on a particular aspect of the literary work.

That last sentence is so important it bears repeating: each body paragraph should be able to function as a body paragraph in an essay on the story/topic. Thus, you should think of the assignment as addressing two points – the larger point of the hypothetical essay, and the narrower point of your individual paragraph. If the point of your "essay" is that The Story of the Stone reflects Buddhist philosophy, your paragraph should start with that basic premise, but then narrow it down to one specific aspect of the story.

Example? If the hypothetical "essay" would argue that Bao-yu is a Buddhist hero, then a topic sentence might read "Bao-yu's Buddhism is revealed by his departure from his family at the end of the novel." Another topic sentence would be "Bao-yu's Buddhism is also shown through his gradual withdrawal from worldly desires." In either case, your goal would be to write a paragraph that proves the individual points of these topic sentences. Your argument adds up: readers see one reason for interpreting Bao-yu as a Buddhist, then another, and another, and they're convinced your overall point is valid. These paragraphs provide practice in building an argument in this manner.

Your focus for each of these paragraphs will vary. Usually, you'll copy out the topic sentence and use it as the first sentence in an argumentative paragraph. You should base your paragraphs on specific quotes from the text, and explain, in detail (and perhaps by making analogies/comparisons to “real life”) how and why these quotes prove your point. Avoid summarizing the stories or just explaining what the quotes mean: your purpose is to make an argument.

Remember too that you will not be able to "say" all you want about the story in these paragraphs: they are meant to provide practice in the art of narrowing down and discussing a single aspect of a work in detail.

When writing your paragraphs, the most important things to remember are planning, drafting, revision, and proofreading; in other words, the things you learned in your introductory writing course. Writing a good body paragraph will take more than one draft, but since they're short, you should have the time to complete them.

Feel free to stop by the Writing Center to have someone review your paragraph before you submit it.

Submission Requirements

You'll be copying and pasting the paragraph, along with the rest of the weekly work, into an email to me. Follow instructions for what to include in the subject line.

Length? About ½ to ¾ of a page. Additionally, since you will be citing from the individual works, you must include a works cited entry.

Topic Sentences for Body Paragraph

Below you'll find a listing of the body paragraphs. Due dates are listed in the syllabus

General Instructions
Copy and use one of the suggested sentences below as the first sentence (topic sentence) of a paragraph. Of course you'll be using quotes from the readings explaining in detail how the quote proves the argument you are making on religion. After planning, drafting, revising and proofreading paragraph, send it to me via email with number of the body paragraph in the subject line: ex - Body Paragraph #1.

Topic sentence for Body Paragraph #1
Choose one of the sentences below and copy and use as first sentence of paragraph – remember to include a work cited entry and ask question as well:

1. ______ is one way The Story of the Stone illustrates Taoist philosophy.
2. The decline of the Jia family in the novel is best shown by _______.
3. ____ is another way the novel shows that its main theme is fiction itself.
   

Topic sentence for Body Paragraph #2
Copy and use as first sentence of paragraph – remember to include a work cited entry and ask question as well:

Exaggeration is another way Voltaire satirizes the idea that we live in the “best of all possible worlds.”

Question for Body Paragraph #3
How is Rousseau’s philosophy/attitude toward life different from Voltaire’s (as expressed in Candide)? Choose one, particular difference, and write a body paragraph (or two) contrasting them (and in the process distinguishing between the Age of Reason and the Age of Romanticism?)

Mid-Term Body Paragraphs
Choosing one of the topic sentences below, copy and use as first sentence of paragraph – remember to include a work cited entry.

________ is one way Madame Bovary should be considered a realistic/naturalistic/symbolic work.
Note – you’ll be choosing and arguing for one of the list, not all three. Use the introductory material in the textbook for definitions of the terms.

__________ is another way Madame Bovary can be considered a romantic novel.

Flaubert illustrates his critique of romanticism by _________.

Another way the narrator shows a disdain/an appreciation for Madame Bovary through _______.

© 2010 David Bordelon