In my introduction I usually start with a broad topic and slowly focus in onto my research question. My introduction serves as a source of background information and also on why my research question is important. Once I have focused in, I present my thesis and how I am going to argue it and then close the intro. In my conclusion I start by repeating my main argument and the main supporting details. I conclude on what my opinion is and why I believe it to be this way. Then I begin to broaden the topic and show how this is important to our world. Then conclude with a strong finishing sentence.

The introduction of the novel, The African Diaspora by Patrick Manning does a great job of outlining the goals of the author in writing this book and what the novel will specifically cover. He first starts by describing the time period he will study and how he chose to display the information. I think it was smart to start this way because he is writing a history novel so just thorough the first paragraphs of the introduction, the reader can gain a more specific idea of the information that will be accounted. Also by stating the reasons behind his organizational methods he shows the reader early on that he has a good grasp of the material, proving himself a reliable narrator. Next he specifies that his target audience is undergraduate students, which is smart because it lets potential buyers no right away if this is the right book for them. Then it runs through an outline of the main topics the novel will cover and the kind of questions the author will be asking and answering in his novel. I think this is effective because it prepares the reader for the writing style of the author and it intrigues the reader to learn more about each topic. Overall his introduction is structured very well and does a good job of telling the reader what his intentions and purpose is with his novel.

New Outline for my new topic- Blog Post 9

Thesis

Disremembered identity

• How monster changes over time as a character
• Where he gets his identity from
  • See social influence?
  • How monster interacts with society
  • Whats his place etc.

• Comparison with victor creating himself
  • Victor’s progression as a character over time
  • Childhood days – early monster
  • Days he learning/studying – monster exploring
• Monster has no place in society
  • Look for articles on society and Frankenstein
  • Identity – physical attributes in the novel/importance of beauty
    • Social commentary?

Chronologically

Identities

Physically

What place does he hold in society?

Males, but a mix – monster

Though they are both men – the monster is almost outside of society so outside the gender binary, his actions are both feminine and masculine

However, you would suggest that instead the monster represents masculinity, a different form of masculinity to victor (who I the academic) but still. Worst side of it.

Outside of society

Barred from other identities

Religious identity not open to him

Victor himself is outside of this, turns his back on god, and tries to become god

Then Frankenstein represents man, but his relation with victor is similar to victors relation to god

Conclusion

Two reflect each other

 Title: Review: In ‘Spectre,’ Daniel Craig Is Back as James Bond, No Surprise

When writing an introduction, I write as clearly and concisely as possible to ensure that my reader understands what I am talking about. In an introduction, I approach my style using the reversed pyramid method. First, in an attempt to introduce the topic that I will talk about, I give a general or “bird-eye” view or thought about the topic at hand. Then, as I introduce my thesis while mentioning my backing evidence, I also give a very brief description of each paragraph I will write. In trying to write an understandable introduction, I also try to highlight on the importance of my argument in an attempt to make my writing not only enjoyable to read but also genuinely interesting. I do this by giving arguments through a different, usually unique perspective.

My writing completely differs from New York Times James Bond enthusiast, Manohla Dargis. In the New York Times movie review of James Bond: Spectre, “Review: In ‘Spectre,’ Daniel Craig Is Back as James Bond, No Surprise” by Manohla Dargis, the introduction is brief and through its very personal and colloquial tone, it conveys a sense that the movie won’t be any more special than the previous ones. She leaves her thesis until the end, and truly does not give many additional details to it. However, she does add some suspense to it, by including elements such as “the unexpected happens”. In the beginning of the article, she asks a question, and though she does not give an answer to it, she allures at what it might mean. Further in the introduction, she gives personal opinions, expectations, and mentions actors in the movie. Overall, she doesn’t hit many points about how good of a movie Spectre will be, but ultimately, she is able to establish some suspense that may lead the reader to read forward. In reading this passage, I notice that she does not mention the film director nor the release date of the movie- these are elements that I wouldn’t discard.

Dargis’ introduction paragraph in his movie review is interesting. It lacks a well defined thesis and supporting evidence. However, her way of incorporating suspense makes the reader want to read more. This is something I may decide to include in my writing to make my argument stand out.

For introductions, I generally try and make a bold statement that really makes people pay attention.  I then give sufficient information to provide context for the rest of my paper, and state the purpose and premise of my paper to lead to my thesis statement.  Conclusions are different in the sense that most everything has been said, so it is simply wrapping up and summarizing the point of the paper, and my stance on the topic.  This is the place where I try and clear up any confusion through blunt statements that exude the purpose of the paper and leave no misconceptions.

I chose the article “Technology is Destroying the Quality of Human Interaction” by Melissa Nilles, which is about how technology is causing a detachment between humans and is limiting the meaning of interactions.  Nilles begins the article with a paragraph describing a recent nightmare where she gives examples of how technology is disrupting the connections between her and those around her.  She follows this anecdote with the bold statement, “Oh wait, that wasn’t a dream.  This technological detachment is becoming today’s reality” (Nilles).  This introduction is strong, because the anecdote is one that at first seems dystopic, but reveals itself as more and more relatable as it goes on.  It has the ability to make people think, and in this sense draws people in.  The anecdote was a little on the lengthy side, which could make readers get disinterested and stop reading.  The single line that is set apart after the first paragraph is really affective, because it stands out and is blunt and powerful.  The meaning is clear, but doesn’t give too much information away.  I plan on incorporating the short, punchy sentence structure concluding Nilles’ introduction to grab the attention of readers and to switch up the structure of my sentences in order to make those points stand out.

I have chosen to focus on the conclusion of the novel Arrowsmith, written by Sinclair Lewis and originally published in 1925 by Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc. This work of fiction follows aspiring doctor, Martin Arrowsmith, through his medical school education and career as a doctor. Arrowsmith’s early career took him all over the country, from the Midwest to the Caribbean Islands to New York to his final location, the wilderness of Vermont. Other characters in this novel also travel quite a bit as required by their professions, and they often unexpectedly run into Arrowsmith. The conclusion of this novel is very satisfying, for a few reasons. First of all, it informs readers of the whereabouts of all the important characters in relation to Arrowsmith at the book’s close. For example, old professors of Arrowsmith’s are at new institutions, and his old classmates have blossoming careers. Readers are also aware of the location of Arrowsmith, and how he is currently occupying his time. Secondly, the conclusion of the book refers back to the introduction. A professor told Arrowsmith on the first day of medical school, in the first chapter of the book, that a true medical student must know how to “wait and doubt” (Lewis, pg. 15) during scientific experimentation. The last line of the book is Arrowsmith saying to his companion, “maybe we’ll get something permanent-and probably we’ll fail” (Lewis, pg. 430). Readers get attached to Arrowsmith throughout the novel, and knowing that he ends up where he always wanted to be, a “true student” in the eyes of his mentor, is very pleasing. Tying my introduction and conclusion together is obviously a technique I’d like to incorporate while writing my final paper, as is informing the reader of the fate of the characters mentioned and of the society in question as a whole.

In an introduction, I usually start off with a hook that catches the reader’s attention and then connect this hook into the general idea of what the paper will be about while introducing the name of the novel, author, publisher and publishing date etc. I then give a background of the novel as it relates to my topic and then state my thesis (the argument of this paper) as well as my so what to show how the message of my paper will connect to the real world.

In a conclusion, I usually start off by summarizing my overall argument/thesis/main points. I then talk a little more about the so-what aspect of my argument and expand this to how it is important to understand the argument of the paper because it can relate to the real world at large.

The piece of writing I looked at is an article from the New York Times titled “New York City School Suspensions Fell 17% in 2014-15, Officials Say” written by Elizabeth A. Harris. Because this is a newspaper article, it is trying to get straight to the point and thus the introduction is pretty short, however it is still there. The introduction states, “The number of suspensions in New York City public schools dropped about 17 percent last year, the de Blasio administration said on Friday, as it announced steps aimed at helping lower that figure even further. The number of arrests made by school safety agents fell as well.” The short introduction definitely grabs the reader’s attention because it gets straight to the point of the article. Considering that the reader is probably interested in this subject since s/he clicked on the article, s/he now wants to continue reading to find out how this drop occurred and what principles were put in place in the public schools to render such a dramatic shift. This short sentence even hints that it will discuss these points because it states “as it announced steps aimed at helping lower that figure even further.” The reader is going to be curious about these steps and will thus want to keep reading to find out more specifics. Also, the last sentence of the introduction is there to entice the reader keep reading even more. This sentence is not part of the original title, but still relates to the topic and thus the reader is probably also interested in learning more about this topic. Because the reader has now read this hook sentence s/he will want to keep reading to find out more about both topics.

I think that because this is an introduction for a newspaper article it makes sense that it would be very straightforward and short. I think it is effective for this type of writing and I can use how it gives the reader a clear, specific idea of what the article is going to talk about. However, for my paper I will need to give more background and summary as well as a more defined thesis and so-what.

The passage I chose was from PACE weekly 11/9/15. It is an email sent by the PACE program and briefly introduces what first-year students are expected to do for the whole week.

The introduction paragraph is:

“Advising weeks are well underway for Spring 2016 pre-registration. You should have already reached out to your PACE Faculty Advisor (and hopefully already met, or are scheduled to meet) to discuss your fall semester and plans for spring. If you are having difficulty contacting your PACE faculty advisor, please email Ms. McDowell (tmcdowe [at] emory [dot] edu) to let her know. You may also schedule a meeting with an OUE Academic Advisor by logging in to ASST (http://www.emory.edu/asst). Use the checklist below to guide your Spring 2016 registration process.”

The first sentence serves as a brief opening of the paragraph. It indicates what this email is for, in this case, “Spring 2016 pre-registration”. The second sentence uses the word “should” and “already” to create an atmosphere of anxiety. This sentence will make students who have already finished their task feel rewarding since they do not have to feel nervous for the rest of the week. On the other hand, for those who have not accomplished their tasks, this sentences will make them feel uneasy and thus urging them to read the rest of the article to find out what they need to do. The third sentence generally introduce a “concede” statement. It offers a solution to students who have difficulty contacting their advisors and provides an authority who they can turn to. The author does not assume that everyone has finished their task; however, the author does not say anything like “it is okay for you to not complete your task”, which will crucially weaken the thesis statement. As a result, the author chooses to concede by providing an alternating solution in sentence three and four. By this, the author not only provides students a second chance but also maintain the thesis statement convincing. The last sentence is a “so what” statement which explains the main purpose of this email.

In this introduction, the author does not include a thesis statement since it’s not a formal writing. Nevertheless, the author’s conceding technique is significantly outstanding, and I feel I can adapt the same strategy in my research paper. In a good introduction, a conceding statement always exists. It is hard to write a conceding statement without weakening the thesis; nonetheless, a well-written conceding statement will make readers feel the author is methodically organized.

For this blog post I will refer back to an article I previously wrote about: “Stop Googling. Let’s Talk” by Sherry Turkle. I will be analyzing her introduction to her opinion piece printed in the New York Times and seeing which strategies I can then integrate into my own writing.

First, Turkle begins with setting a scene to familiarize the reader with the argument she is presenting. The first words are “COLLEGE students”, followed by an accurate description of how college students act with technology and split attention: focusing on a friend in person while texting at the same time. Whether or not the reader participates in conversation this way, this is a common sight to see in twenty-first century America. The next sentence is an explanation of background information, with a hinted mocking tone of ignorant youth as she talks about how they explain they get away with partial attention due to hiding texting in middle school classes. Finally, Turkle ends the paragraph with how college students are able to be with their friends and “elsewhere”. The follow-up paragraph includes data on how often adults use phones at social events and also how most feel it takes away from the event.

Overall, this introduction is engaging yet bland. There is enough detail to grab the reader’s attention through a small anecdote and mocking tone. Oh, those silly kids and their phones. It has enough weight to make a reader pay attention to the next, more important paragraph about studies on phones and attention. The anecdote is also focused in topic, not being randomly assigned to grab attention and instead focusing as a transition from the real world to the argument in the article. However, the anecdote itself is too general to hold for more than the three sentences that compose it. I want to use the focus that Turkle uses, but at the same time be engaging enough, since my introduction will be considerably longer.

In an introduction, I often times follow the basic model that they teach you in elementary school. Obviously I introduce what I will be talking about and then provide my supporting details that I will later expand upon within the body paragraphs. But if the paper is on an important figure, then I use the intro to set the stage for the life, accomplishments, and lasting legacy of the individual. In the conclusion, I do the exact same thing as in the intro, just worded differently.

I evaluated an article from the Emory Wheel entitled “The search to replace Wagner begins” by Emily Sullivan. The article basically announced that the process for replacing President Wagner has begun. The advisory committee will be solidifying their recommendations this month and presenting their proposal to the University Senate at their upcoming meeting. The Board of Trustees is responsible for choosing the president and questions concerning the matter from the SGA will be answered at the Senate meeting. Furthermore, SGA President Raj Tilwa expressed his desire to see more diverse representation such as a female president as apposed to the typical white male. The introduction does nothing more than state what is happening. It is pretty boring, but then again, it’s not a very exciting topic we’re talking about here. It grabs your attention by announcing that “the first stages…are underway” but then falls flat as it just details the method for how this is being done. It is very informative, which I assume was the motive, but quickly loses my interest and makes it a chore to continue reading.

It is essential to present the subject matter of the writing in the introduction. In my introductions I try to logically display the points of argument that I will be discussing further on in the writing. I try to do this in a succinct manner so as not to make the introduction to lengthy. Upon introducing the subject matter, it is also important to have an apparent and direct thesis statement. The thesis statement should be a summary of what the subject is and what my stance on the topic is.

The conclusion is very similar to the introduction in that the whole idea of a conclusion is to summarize the entire essay in one paragraph. Here, I try to recapitulate the arguments made thus far. It is also important to try not to bring up new points of arguments in the conclusion. The conclusion should be strictly for summarizing the essay so people can get the general comprehension of the essay.

This is the introduction of a psychology paper I had to read for my psychology seminar class

Imagine it is Friday, and you have plans to meet up with a small group of friends for what would normally be an enjoyable evening. However, tonight it feels like the gathering will be more draining than pleasurable, and you would much prefer to stay in by yourself. In fact, over the last few weeks, you have been less interested in most social activities as well as most of your hobbies. It is not that you have had less time or fewer opportunities, but you were unmotivated to pursue them; and even when you did, you ended up feeling bored and checking your watch the whole time. Distressed by this, you might wonder whether there was a name for what you were feeling, at which point you would likely discover that you were experiencing what clinical psychologists and psychiatrists call anhedonia, which is a common symptom in patients with major depression or schizophrenia

Here the introduction lacks the formal tone one would expect from an academic paper. However starting off the paper with an anecdote that many people can relate to immediately seizes the attention of many readers. In that sense this is a rather successful introduction as it captivates the mind of the audience.

As for the conclusion…

In sum, we have articulated the potential value of translational neuroscience in providing diagnostic clarity to the study of reward-related symptoms in psychopathology. Given recent advances in basic science and translational validation, we are now poised to leverage these approaches to better understand and even potentially reclassify these symptoms in terms of biologically derived constructs and measures.

The conclusion here summarizes the points mentioned in the paper in a very succinct manner. Despite lacking the minute details, the conclusion is still effective in recapitulating the focal arguments of the paper so that even those who haven’t read the paper with care can still understand the general arguments made.