"Salvage The Bones" Analysis Essay

Sample Analysis

Essay

Introduction and

Body Paragraph When you construct your introduction, include the following elements:

* The hook -- a small scene or anecdote that establishes the main topic/theme of your essay and/or explains how the topic/theme is handled in society.

* A summary of how that theme is presented in the book (the summary shown below is on the shorter side.) A summary is factual and states what events took place in the book.

*The title of the text and the author's full name in the introduction.

* Your thesis statement that states what you believe occurred as a result of events or actions of the characters.

Little Ben and June play happily together on the throw rug in the living room.

The family’s dog shifts from its back to its stomach to warm her body evenly in front

of the fire. In the kitchen, Mother sings quietly as she labors over the final touches to

the dinner. Up the driveway glides the family station wagon and at the wheel is

Father; a smile overtakes his face as he nears the garage. It’s so nice to be home.

The American family -- all of our strengths and none of our weaknesses. We pride

ourselves on living up to this Norman Rockwell style life. Love thy neighbor, home

sweet home, and bless this house. But what does it take to maintain this beautiful

life? And if we cannot, what does it take to maintain the appearance of this beautiful

life? In ​The Virgin Suicides, ​Jeffrey Eugenides presents the subject of living through

an idea rather than living in reality. The Lisbons are trying to live up to the idea of the

American Family. There is a silent and emotionless presence felt in all the choices

they make as a family; they are afraid of the community's judgment. The looming

concern with appearance supersedes for what is best for the family. This creates an

emotional disconnect that leaves the Lisbons in a state of dysfunction in which they

are pitted against their community and unable to focus on their wellbeing.

Each body paragraph includes the following:

· Your topic sentence that presents an arguable claim about the subject and supports the thesis. · Smooth integration of direct quotes and textual examples. (Do not just drop the quotes on the page. Lead into them with a context for each quote.) · Full responses to your examples -- What do the details in the textual examples represent and how do they support your thesis? What is the significance of each example (the “so what?”)? · Correct MLA citing and formatting.

People would rather not look at the painful realities of life. Their willingness to

help goes only as far as their ability to accept their surroundings. The community

ignored the Lisbons after Cecelia's suicide attempt. “Our local newspaper neglected

to run an article on the suicide attempt, because the editor, Mr. Baubee, felt such

depressing information wouldn’t fit between the front-page article on the junior

League Flower Show and the back-page photographs of grinning brides” (12). This

choice made by the editor of the town paper is a perfect example of neighborly

denial. If life is prim and proper, where would we fit in emotion and struggle? The

answer is clear. It’s best to leave it out. This decision leaves those who suffer to

suffer alone, and those who would care to remain carefree.