Things to Remember About Writing an Essay

Stargirl Essay Assignment Due Thursday, May 18

Stargirl is a novel that tells the story of a new girl at Mica High School in Arizona. She calls herself Stargirl and she has a great influence on her classmates, especially Leo, the narrator of the story. Write an essay in which you discuss your response to a major question raised by this story: Who are we, really, and what is our relationship to others?

Things to Remember About Writing an Essay:

1. Every essay begins with an introduction. For this essay, the introduction is a summary of Stargirl. The introduction leads the reader to your thesis statement, which is usually the last sentence in your introductory paragraph.

2. An essay must have a thesis statement. The purpose of the thesis statement is to clearly state the central idea of your essay. For this essay, your thesis should focus on your response to major questions raised by the novel, Stargirl: Who are we really? What is the basis of our identity? Who are we in relationship to others? Should we resist the social pressure to conform in order to be popular, or at least tolerated by others? Write a thesis statement that states your opinion about one or more of these issues.

3. Every paragraph should relate to your thesis and begin with a topic sentence that tells the reader the main idea of that paragraph. For this essay, you should write paragraphs that explain why you hold the opinion you stated in your thesis. Use examples from the novel to make your points. If you like, you can also use ideas from the excerpt we read from Reviving Ophelia. (optional)

4. Paragraphs should be fully developed. Use the PIE technique.

 P Point The main point is expressed in the topic sentence.  I Illustration Give examples, use quotations that illustrate your point.  E Explanation- Explain why those examples or quotations illustrate your point 5. About using direct quotes from the text:

 Don’t over use quotes. The essay should be mostly your writing. Use no more than one quote in a paragraph. You do not need to use quotes in every paragraph, but I would like you to use at least 2 in this essay.  When you do use a direct quote from the text, put quotation marks around it, and note the page number MLA style. Here is an example:

“She taught me to revel. She taught me to wonder” (107)

Notice that the period follows the parentheses. Also notice that all you put inside the parentheses is the number.

 Don’t begin or end a paragraph on a quote. The quote should be “sandwiched” in between the point you are trying to make, and your explanation of how the quote helps to support or illustrate your point. You might try starting sentences following a quote with expressions like, “ This shows…… The point Archie is making here is………… Clearly, Stargirl is telling Leo that…………. Leo feels that……………………

6. Every essay needs a conclusion. The conclusion should be a fully developed paragraph, not a sentence or two tacked on to the end of your essay. The purpose of the conclusion is to bring together all the ideas you have discussed in your body paragraphs and show how they support your thesis. It is also an opportunity to reflect on those ideas and their significance. For this essay, use the conclusion to reflect on what you learned from reading this novel, and how it has influenced your thoughts and feelings about who you are and your relationship to others.

7. About writing fabulous sentences – here are some things to keep in mind as you write this essay:

 Write in the present tense – this is the tense writers generally use when they write about literature.  Use coordination and subordination to show the relationship among ideas in a sentence. Refer to your text, Expressions, and make sure you are using the correct punctuation.  Use transitional words and phrases (p. 299 in Expressions) to help the reader follow the flow of your ideas. Remember to think about the relationships you are trying to signal.  Check your spelling!