The Personal Essay

1. The Personal Essay An essay is an “attempt” to persuade someone to your opinion on a subject. (“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 Body Conclusion

2. Thesis The thesis is the main point of the essay. It is often indicated in the introduction. The body contains material (examples, narratives, descriptions analogies, reasonings etc. to support the thesis. Note: you may have a strong thesis, but a pesonal essay does not try to prove anything.

3. 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

4. Consider the pink example in terms of diction and syntax 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 what “audience” and “tone” mean and how they 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.

5. 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.

6. Tone, Voice & Audience With the utmost disdain for suffering, the cruel Cornwall plucked 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 Gloucester lose 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!

7. Examples Thesis A good essay is like a wheel Bent or loose or broken spokes make for a weak wheel. A bad essay would be a mere collection of spokes.

8. A Good Essay: Informs AND Entertains A good essay demonstrates: clarity conciseness emphasis unity coherence

9. A Topic is Not a Thesis Smoking Smoking is for idiots. A Thesis must be a statement expressing an opinion Smoking is widespread among young people. Smoking and creativity go together.

10. Extended Thesis 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 instinct to make all ordered and uniform. It demands quality, not quantity, adventure, not protection.

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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)

14. 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. Avoid the gratuitous “I” and all first person pronouns. Never say: “in my opinion”/ “I think” / “the way I see it..”

15. Pre-Writing: 4 questions Why am I writing? How big is my topic? What message am I sending? Who is my audience?

16. Introductions: Possibilities Reveal the thesis (thesis statement) Background information Unusual/puzzling statement Anecdote Figures of speech Quotation or allusion A striking comparison or contrast Sensory images

17. In conclusion Reference to opening Contrast/reversal (irony) ?Question? Quotation Revealing significance Transition signals Drawing conclusions summary

18. 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.