How To Write A Body

Instructions on submitting the Body Paragraphs

Most of you have completed the introduction and submitted it. I have evaluated it and returned it to you.

Your introduction should have contained the semester research essay's thesis statement and some general key terms that you plan on using as the categories of evidence to support that thesis statement.

For example, Here is an example thesis statement:

The failure of Norma Jean and Leroy's marriage is foreshadowed through the setting and imagery in the short story Shiloh. One major device that Mason uses to emphasize the failure is through the repetitive use of bird imagery to connote and foreshadow the flight that Norma Jean will choose in leaving the marriage. Another strategy that Mason uses is to juxtapose the illusion of Leroy's log cabin home, one he never builds, against the reality of the deteriorating log cabin at the Shiloh National Battlefield. Finally, Mason's setting allows the historical fight between the South and the North to emerge metaphorically as the real battlefield of their marriage: a fight between the opposing ideologies of tradition and change.

Note that the paragraph is color coded. The thesis statement is in red and the key terms (contained in the thesis statement) are either blue or green. The further color coding of sentences in the introductory paragraph (either blue or green) focus on how the author plans to develop each of the key terms. The introductory paragraph then is a mini-outline of the essay.

The body paragraphs to follow need to thoroughly detail each of the key term sentences that were color coded in the introductory paragraph. For example, the first color coded sentence is:

One major device that Mason uses to emphasize the failure is through the repetitive use of bird imagery to connote and foreshadow the flight that Norma Jean will choose in leaving the marriage.

If the author chooses this category (focused key term) to write about first, then he or she will need to find both primary evidence (from the story itself) and from secondary sources (probably Academic Search Premiere or Literature Resource Center databases on BCC library). The evidence must support the assertion that Mason's repetition of bird imagery "connotes and foreshadows the flight that Norma Jean will choose in leaving the marriage." That is the focus of this key term. However, since there are "repetitive" references to bird imagery in the story, then these should be separated into different paragraphs, each single specific reference to bird imagery should be explained so that it logically fulfills the qualifications of the key term sentence.

There are at least 3 references to bird imagery in the story that, once explained, can be logically equated to a foreshadowing of Norma Jean's flight from the failing marriage. The author of this essay would separate the three and then write three separate paragraphs, each with a topic sentence about the specific bird imagery that "connotes and foreshadows the flight of Norma Jean...." Once the topic sentence is established, the author then has to show how the bird imagery discussed in the paragraph does equate to Norma Jean's choosing to leave the marriage. In addition, the author should add at least one additional paragraph that validates his or her analysis of these various bird imagery references from a secondary source. The topic sentence for that paragraph would include the name and perhaps article title of the secondary source that also concurs with bird imagery as being relevant in revealing Norma Jean's attempt to escape the failing marriage.

This process is repeated for all key term sentences in your introduction. Again, the 2nd key term sentence has at least 2 references; one reference is when Leroy fantasizes and actually gathers plans to build his "dream" log home. There is plenty of descriptive detail in that section of the story to show that this "dream" would never materialize. The other section is descriptive and deals with the actual log cabin at Shiloh National Battlefield. There are a number of references to clearly show how this "real" log cabin represents the product and the consequences of Leroy's illusionary log home.

The 3rd key term has at least 4 references. The historical