Intro & MEAL Formats

Writing an Introductory Paragraph

1. Introduce the general topic:

Life is full of suffering. But the same suffering that cripples us can also redeem us.

2. Introduce the quote (when applicable):

Theodore Roethke once said, "In a dark time, the eye begins to see."

3. Explain the quote:

In other words, difficult or painful situations can lead to a new and better understanding of the world around you.

4. Introduce the literature:

Two works of literature that explore the benefits of hard times are The Color of Water by James McBride and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

5. Relate how each literary work relates to the quote:

In The Color of Water, Rachel Shilsky endures a difficult childhood to become Ruth McBride, a pastor's wife and a mother who pushes her twelve children to success. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Jem and Scout come to realize the undercurrent of hatred and ignorance that runs through their sleepy Alabama town.

6. Thesis and road map:

Using setting and inner conflict, McBride and Lee explore the idea that misfortune can lead to clarity.

Together it reads:

Life is full of suffering. But the same suffering that cripples us can also redeem us. Theodore Roethke once said, "In a dark time, the eye begins to see." In other words, difficult or painful situations can lead to a new and better understanding of the world around you. Two works of literature that explore the benefits of hard times are The Color of Water by James McBride and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. In The Color of Water, Rachel Shilsky endures a difficult childhood to become Ruth McBride, a pastor's wife and a mother who pushes her twelve children to success. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Jem and Scout come to realize the undercurrent of hatred and ignorance that runs through their sleepy Alabama town. Using setting and inner conflict, McBride and Lee explore the idea that misfortune can lead to clarity.

A. Rearrange (and write out) the eight sentences below in a logical order according to the this format:

1. Through characterization, symbolism and internal and external conflict, Salinger and Smith explore their protagonists' struggles to resolve their grief.

2. For an adolescent, whose sense of self is just beginning to emerge, this experience can be particularly traumatic.

3. Sophocles once said, “Grief teaches the steadiest minds to waiver.”

4. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn follows Francie as she struggles to come to terms with her beloved father's death from alcoholism.

5. It is a painful truth that most people will have to deal with saying goodbye to someone they love who has died.

6. The Catcher in the Rye is the story of a teenager, Holden Caulfield, whose emotional turbidity derives from his inability to accept his brother’s untimely death.

7. Two novels that explore the effect of grief on young people are The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith.

8. In other words, the loss of a loved one can throw even the most stable individual off balance.

MEAL - Writing a Body Paragraph

M = Main idea

E = Evidence

A = Analysis of evidence

L = Link to theme, quote, main idea

B. Your topic sentences should specifically address the road map addressed in your thesis statement. Let's look at the thesis statement from the above example:

"Using setting and inner conflict, McBride and Lee explore the idea that misfortune can lead to clarity. "

For the road map above I would expect at least TWO body paragraphs.

The first would explore how McBride OR Lee (not both) uses SETTING to show that bad times can bring clearer understanding. (Find one example of how Lee uses setting to make the point that conflict breeds clarity.)

The second would show how McBride OR Lee (not both) uses INNER CONFLICT to show that bad times can bring clearer understanding. (Find one example of how McBride uses inner conflict to make the point that conflict breeds clarity.)

Each of your body paragraphs should include a topic sentence, usually the first sentence. The topic sentence is really a mini thesis statement. The rest of your paragraph should “prove” the topic sentence true.