I would begin my introduction by introducing my topic of how advances in technology are causing a decline in a sense of identity that is evident in Gary Shteyngart’s Super Sad True Love Story.  Background information about the technology and characters in the novel would be necessary in the introduction so that readers will understand my points without having to have read the novel.  I will have to define the term “apparat” from the novel, since it is the primary form of technology in the novel that I will be addressing, especially since it relates back to present day technology and current issues our society is facing.  My thesis will then conclude the introduction.

In my body, I would start by addressing the reliance on technology in the book through the use of a passage on page 270 that is Lenny’s diary entry where he discusses how the apparats aren’t connecting and he feels so alone and needs to connect to someone.  I would then use Melissa Nilles’ article, “Technology is Destroying the Quality of Human Interaction,” to relate this disconnect to our own society.  One quote that I think I will use is “Little by little, Internet and mobile technology seems to be subtly destroying the meaningfulness of interactions we have with others, disconnecting us from the world around us, and leading to an imminent sense of isolation in today’s society” (Nilles 1).  This will aid in my argument that technology is distancing us from our own identities by destroying our ability to connect with others and relate face-to-face.

My next point will be to compare the continuous flow of information and data streaming in Super Sad True Love Story to the “Noise” found in Patrick Ness’s “The Knife of Never Letting Go.”  This will require background information to define and explain what “Noise” is.  I will then compare it to a passage on pages 89-90, where Noah and Vishnu are teaching Lenny all of the new features on his apparat that determine various rankings that everyone is so absorbed by.  They have such a strong influence over people’s actions and behavior to where they become their identity.  I will then relate both of these through how the society is limited and stripped of their identity down to a monotone nature.

I will then do a recap and tie everything together in the conclusion.  This will provide clarity and meaning to my paper by answering the research question and consolidating the main points back into the restating of the thesis.