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American Lit II Home Page

Dr. Bordelon's American Lit II On Campus

I've linked and adapted below some information from my on-campus course that should help you craft clear discussion posts -- and more generally, sharpen your writing skills.

Feel free to explore other areas of the site, but remember that this is for my own version of the course: the online version we're working in was created by a different professor.

Discussion Post Suggestions

Well focused paragraphs lie at the center of academic writing.

Your discussion posts should consist of well focused paragraphs.  Below you'll find some suggestions  on how to plan and draft body paragraphs.

Quick Tips | Sample Paragraph

Suggestions

Remember that the core of literary writing is the use of quotes. 

My own planning typically starts off with a list of quotes already on a document  from the story that I can copy and paste to support the points I'm making.  Going on a quick "quote search" means losing my train of thought.

Parts of a Body Paragraph
  • Topic sentence (which sets out a clear, argumentative point)
  • Framing of argument 
  • Quotes (intro, quote and explanation -- see below)
  • Conclusion

Quick Tips for Body Paragraphs

  • Make a list of quotes to use for evidence
  • Define any ideas in topic sentence
  • Provide context to set up quotes
  • Explain how quote is connected to the topic sentence -- focus on the language used (connotation of specific words, symbolism of imagery, tone [sarcasm, irony, humor, etc.], etc.)
    Try using a verb from the following list to shift into argument (see Verb List page for sample sentences using these words)

    agree argue
    believe charge
    claim
    comment conclude consider

    criticize declare
    describe define
    discover
    emphasize explain
    feels

    illustrate imply indicate
    reinforce
    reveals
    shows
    suggests
    supports

    Sample sentences might follow these patterns

This ____ suggests that _______
They indicate the ____
This emphasis on finding ______ suggests that
Supporting this idea of the sea as female, the narrator adds _______
The description reinforces the idea that ______

  • Repeat focus/argument word from topic sentence within your paragraph to keep readers, uh, focused on your argument(this is an important point that writers often neglect)
  • Revise by deletion: take out whatever doesn't fit with argument
  • Revise by addition: explain how a particular word makes your point; use an analogy to make your argument clearer
  • Proofread! (commas, basics done - double space lines, cite properly, include question, etc.)

Follow these steps, bake at 350° for 2 hours (or however long it takes you work on the paragraph) and viola' a completed body paragraph, suitable for company.

Incorporating Quotes

Three parts to setting up a quote

  1. introduce quote and provide context so reader can understand why you're using it -- state the "who said it" and "where/when" of the quote (a word from the verb list above can really help);
  2. "insert quote and" (citation);
  3. explain how/why quote proves your point -- focus on individual words or actions: repetition helps.

Example Paragraph

It takes planning and revision to get the swirl of ideas in your head into a coherent and interesting string of words that makes sense to a reader.

Below you'll find a draft (though not the first draft) from a previous student's paragraph, followed by the final draft.

Note the changes from the draft to the final version.
In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck's reaction towards his father kidnapping him is another way the novel rejects domesticity. Although Miss Watson and the widow try their best to raise Huck in a quality environment by providing him with clean clothes, a warm bed, and an education, Huck demonstrates how their efforts go unappreciated when his father kidnaps and takes him into the woods. Here, Huck describes his time in the woods as "lazy and jolly" (122) and is delighted in the fact that he didn’t have to "wash", "eat on a plate", or "go to bed and get up at regular"(122) as he did when he was living in a more civilized environment.  This shows that Huck does not want to be domesticated and is willing to stay in unfavorable circumstances with his father, even at risk of being beat with "the cowhide"(121), to do so. Therefore, by having the main character demonstrate a strong desire to be uncivilized and undomesticated proves that the novel rejects domesticity and allows the reader to see this as well.

Twain, Mark. "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Eds.  Nina Baym, et al. New York:  W.W. Norton & Company, 2007, 108-294. 

In the revision below, note the smaller changes in punctuation and citation and, especially, the larger changes in content and style that make for a more convincing paragraph.

Huck's embrace of his kidnapping illustrates the novel's rejection of domesticity. The world of houses, manners, schools, structure, and religion is the world of domesticity -- and a world most nineteenth-century Americans yearned to live in. Although Miss Watson and the widow try their best to raise Huck in such an environment by providing him with clean clothes, a warm bed, and a primary and religious education, Huck demonstrates how such efforts go unappreciated through his reaction to his father kidnapping and taking him into the woods. Instead of missing the conventional life of home and hearth, Huck describes his time there as "lazy and jolly" (122) and is delighted in the fact that he didn’t have to "wash," "eat on a plate," or "go to bed and get up at regular"(122) as he did in the more civilized environment of St. Petersburg. Giving up the comforts of town life, he welcomes the wilderness and does not want to go back to his old house to be "cramped up and sivilized"(123). This rejection of the "sivilized" life shows that Huck does not want to be domesticated, even at the risk of being beaten with "the cowhide" (121). As the protagonist, a reader's sympathies lay with Huck, and his strong desire to be uncivilized and undomesticated is part of how the novel as a whole rejects the cultural norms of domesticity.  For Huck, home is where the raft is.

Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The Norton Anthology of American Literature,
        edited by Nina Baym, et al., W.W. Norton & Company, 2007, pp. 108-294.

To make the parts of the paragraph clearer, below find a breakdown of its sentences with some quick commentary:

•  A main point stated in one sentence: make it an argument/statement that needs to be backed up -- the topic sentence

Huck's embrace of his kidnapping illustrates the novel's rejection of domesticity.

Note the clarity of this statement: it's a point that can be argued.  In your own work, focus on this kind of specificity.

•  Framing the argument: In this case, what do you mean by a "domesticity"? How does it connect to the novel?

The world of houses, manners, schools, structure, and religion is the world of domesticity -- and a world most nineteenth-century Americans yearned to live in. Although Miss Watson and the widow try their best to raise Huck in such an environment by providing him with clean clothes, a warm bed, and a primary and religious education, Huck demonstrates how such efforts go unappreciated through his reaction to his father kidnapping and taking him into the woods.

Fine job here of providing background so us poor, umble' readers can understand what the writer is thinking about. Note that it took a few sentences to get this down.  

Consider the beginning of the same paragraph, below, without this framing.

Huck's embrace of his kidnapping illustrates the novel's rejection of domesticity.  Instead of missing the conventional life of home and hearth, Huck describes his time there as "lazy and jolly" (122) and is delighted in the fact that he didn’t have to "wash," "eat on a plate," or "go to bed and get up at regular"(122) as he did in the more civilized environment of St. Petersburg. Giving up the comforts of town life, he welcomes the wilderness and does not want to go back to his old house to be "cramped up and sivilized"(123). . . .

Without the framing, the argument seems rushed instead of thought out.  Yes, the paragraph still works, but instead of an enthusiastic nod of agreement as the reader sees the connection, this just generates an "okay." 

Go for nods.

• Examples or details that support your point (use descriptions of characters or setting, quotes from the literary work, commentary by literary critics, etc.). Remember that instead of just sticking in a quote, you need to provide a context so the reader can understand -- even before they read the quote -- its purpose in the paragraph.

Instead of missing the conventional life of home and hearth, Huck describes his time there as "lazy and jolly" (122) and is delighted in the fact that he didn’t have to "wash," "eat on a plate," or "go to bed and get up at regular"(122) as he did in the more civilized environment of St. Petersburg.

What's important here is the smooth integration of quote into the writer's own prose.  The context is handled by noting "his time there," which puts the reader in the woods with Huck.  And of course, the concision of the quotes is worth noting: the student took just what was needed to make the point.  Strive for the same.

•  The reader cannot read your mind: after each quote, you have to tell him or her exactly what you want it to prove/show. Ask the following question in your head "how does this example prove my point?" and "why is this quote important in this paragraph?" and then it answer in your essay. This is where you prove your argument. As a sentence starter, try "This" or a restatement of your example

Giving up the comforts of town life, he welcomes the wilderness and does not want to go back to his old house to be "cramped up and sivilized"(123). This rejection of the "sivilized" life shows that Huck does not want to be domesticated, even at the risk of being beaten with "the cowhide" (121).

Pay attention to the repetition here.  Repeating "sivilized" pulls the reader back to the quote, making clear the connection between quote and argument.  The explanation/definition of the repeated word helps seal the argumentative deal. The takeaway from this? Let repetition be your friend as you explain your quotes. 

•  A sentence or two to sum up.

As the protagonist, a reader's sympathies lay with Huck, and his strong desire to be uncivilized and undomesticated is part of how the novel as a whole rejects the cultural norms of domesticity.  For Huck, home is where the raft is.

Nice job here of referring back to the topic sentence to remind the reader what argument was -- and nice rhetorical flourish at the end for some fun.

© David Bordelon 2017