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Do you remember the three main purposes of the Introduction? Look back at Lesson 4 for a review. How can these purposes be achieved? The possibilities are endless, so be creative. Be sure to consider your readers, though, as you think of a way to draw them into your project. Here are some common strategies.
1. A Brief Narrative. One of the most effective ways to get readers involved is to tell a brief story that relates to your theme. Nathan McCall, for example, tells of the boy who tripped him on the first day of school to illustrate the prejudice that greeted him (p. 47). In her analytical essay, bell hooks starts by telling the story of her family's Saturday morning tradition to illustrate one meaning of hair straightening (p. 401).
2. Description. Another powerful strategy is to describe (as vividly as possible) a person, place, or thing. Carl Rowan opens his essay with a brief description of his teacher, Miss Bessie (p. 122). Eugene Raudsepp describes the sort of nervous behavior that is typical before an important job interview (p. 513).
3. Historical or other Background Information. It is often helpful to open an essay with any relevant background information that will help your readers understand the topic. Marvin Harris, for example, offers background information on skin colors around the globe and on the purpose of melanin to start out his essay on the origins of skin color (p. 495).
4. Questions. Another way to generate interest is to ask one or more questions that will intrigue your readers. Gloria Steinem opens her essay with a question designed to encourage readers to consider life before and after the women's movement that began in the 1960s (p. 557).
5. A Startling or Provocative Statement or Quotation. Anything startling, unexpected, or provocative is sure to capture people's attention. Raudsepp's admission that pre-interview nervousness can be debilitating might startle people into reading more. Look also at the first line of John Ciardi's essay on page 194: he wants to provoke us into thinking about what the "right to pursue happiness" really means. (You will be reading this essay in Week 5)
6. Reversal. This strategy works by reversing the reader's expectations. Start by saying, "Most people believe X to be true," and then finish by revealing that "In fact, Y is true." Thus, you start people with what they think they know and then surprise them. You can also use this strategy to convey your own learning process: "I always believed that X was true; now I know that in fact Y is true." Look at William Raspberry (p.320), Barbara Ehrenreich (p. 362), and Richard Rodriguez (p. 673) for examples of this strategy.
These are just a few possible introductory strategies. Be bold and experiment. You might paint an "Imagine This" scenario for you readers, or you might relate several recent incidents in the news that link to your topic. Remember that you can also combine many of the strategies described above. Nat Hentoff, for example, opens his essay on free speech with a startling narrative that provides necessary background (p. 660--you will be reading this essay in Week 6).
Review the purposes of the Conclusions in Lesson 4. These purposes tell you what you need to do at the end of an essay: remind us of your main point and tell us why your ideas are important. The Conclusion provides your last chance to underscore the significance of your essay. Here are three common closing strategies.
1. Full Circle. To come full circle, return to whatever strategy you used in your introduction and revisit it. Thus, if you asked a question, ask it again and answer it. If you opened by telling a story or describing a scene, return to the events of the story or to the same scene, and tell us the outcome. The full circle strategy reminds readers where the essay started and how far they have traveled, while providing a satisfying sense of closure.
2. Point to the Future. Often the ideas in your essay will have implications for the future. In an expressive essay, you might discuss how your future beliefs or behaviors will change. In a referential essay, you provide information that the reader can use in the future--remind them of its usefulness. In a persuasive essay, you hope to influence the future thoughts and behaviors of your readers. Tell them why a brighter future depends on them.
3. Call to Action. This strategy often works hand in hand with point to the future. Particularly in persuasive essays, you want to urge the readers to take action, whether on a personal, local, national, or global level. Remind them what they (or we as a society) need to do and why.
For examples of these strategies, see Rowan (p. 125), hooks (p.409), Ciardi (p. 197), Schor (p. 383), Gaiter (p. 639), and Raspberry (p. 322--last three paragraphs).
Look back at your first essay and think about the strategies that you used in your introduction and conclusion. Send me an email describing these strategies. How successful were they? Would one of the other strategies work better? How would you improve your introduction and conclusion if you could?
As you write Essay 2, focus on creating a unique and captivating introduction using one or more of the strategies described above or one of your own design. Focus also on writing the strongest conclusion possible. When I read these essays, I will be looking specifically at your introductions and conclusions.
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