essay for kim woods

English 1 Ireland Expository/Argument Essay #1 Prompt Due: Thursday, 10/2/14

Write an essay [on any of the recent essays] in which you use any of the following four expository patterns: division and analysis, process, cause and effect, comp/contrast. This essay will require that you make a “structural” choice that results in an expository pattern [div/analysis, process, cause and effect, comp/cont] “predominating,” others [descriptive, narrative, etc.] serving in a subordinate capacity. Following is a brief breakdown of division and analysis, process, cause and effect, comparison/contrast writing. You must use any one or a combination of these four “patterns.”

A “Division and Analysis” essay expresses a division of a subject into several parts to be analyzed or further classified. Break any essay/subject into parts and you have division and analysis. Maybe break MLK’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” up into sections, analyze several Or perhaps you might analyze Parker Palmer’s “There is a Season.” His essay has four parts. So will yours. You might break Howard Zinn’s “Optimism of Uncertainty” into its two parts [20th Century and the world since 2003]. Any of these would be a good subject for division and analysis.

“Process” writing usually involves the separation of your subject into its components. It divides a continuous action into steps or stages. rocess involves time chronology, steps, stages. Perhaps you might write about the many stages in creating an essay. This would make a good paper: describe the steps required of a good essay, from the assessment of the writing situation to brainstorming, to outlining, developing a thesis, and writing the first draft. I will accept this as a paper idea.

“Cause and effect” writing [closest form to argument] explores “causes” and asks the question Why? and must answer that question to the satisfaction of the reader. “To figure out reasons and results is to use the method of cause and effect.” Look for relationships by explaining why something is the way it is [explore causes] or by showing what the results are of its existence [explore effects], or both. What do you think causes people to be attracted to the kind of inspiration Howard Zinn describes? Or consider what caused MLK to respond the way he did.

A “Comparison/Contrast” essay demonstrates a separation of two things based on how they are either alike or different or both. Comparison/contrast can be made in two fundamental ways: by using a “point by point” comparison, by which the subjects are discussed in relation to each other one point at a time; or by using a “side by side” comparison, by which the subjects are discussed separately, one at a time. The two choices for this type of essay would be “You are Brilliant” and Zinn’s “Optimism of Uncertainty.” Each essay discusses the difficulties the world faces and each essay argues that something must be done. The writers say it in slightly different ways, but the idea is the same. You might also MLK with Parker Palmer. Study the architecture of each essay. What is the structure of MLK’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”? and what is the structure of Parker Palmer’s “There is a Season.” Even though the essays are different, each has a very obvious structure and works well [reads well] because of this.

Choose a subject [see any of the recent essays we’ve read—or coming essays—for subject ideas] and write an essay using any one of the methods above. You may also choose to use a combination of two or even three of the above models if you feel your essay might benefit from this. These types of essays are referred to as “mixed methods” essays. The ideas above are simply ideas, not requirements. They are meant to inspire you to find ways to design papers on your own. Your essay will be 3-4 pages in length. Paper must be typed, double-spaced. Good luck!