ENG ESSAY

3

Unit V

Lesson 1: What Is an Illustration Essay?

Introduction

People can understand a concept when it is explained to them, but in order to fully comprehend something, people often need an example. An illustration essay operates on the principle that an argument must be supported with examples in order to be effective. An illustration (or example) is a thing that is characteristic of its kind or that exemplifies a general rule.

The purpose of illustrative writing is to show or demonstrate something in the clearest way possible by providing evidence to support a thesis. An illustration essay makes arguments by stating a generalization of some kind in the form of a thesis statement. The thesis is then supported by either a single illustration or by multiple illustrations. In this way, the essay moves from an idea in the form of a generalization to something more specific so that the reader can “see” for himself or herself how the generalization is determined.

What Is an Illustration?

There are three types of illustrations (sometimes referred to as examples) that can be used to support the thesis in an illustration essay:

1. Precise illustrations: This type of illustration points to one specific case in which something occurred. The example used in the illustration does not have to be the only case, but it should highlight one instance thoroughly.

Benefits: This type of illustration carries the most authority and authenticity because it is a firsthand account and based on experience.

Limitations: A precise illustration is limited, however, by the fact that a firsthand experience is often subjective, meaning that it relies upon the perceptions of the person witnessing the experience.

Example A: In an argument about the ills of texting while driving, the writer might include an account of a girl who caused herself injury by causing a car accident because she was texting while driving.

Example B: In an argument about strong African-American women in history, the writer might include a description about the life of Sojourner Truth.

Example C: In an argument about how dogs remember their owners long after being separated from them, the writer might include the story of Buddy, who was returned to his owners in California in 2014 after being lost in the wildfires of 2007.

Types of Illustrations (Examples)

· Historical moments - events, happenings, important people, etc.

· Examples from professionals and field experts

· Personal accounts - narratives about an individual’s personal life experience (note: personal accounts cannot come from the writer)

2. General illustrations: This type of illustration is generic, meaning that it can apply to the majority of situations but not all. A general illustration often asks the reader to generalize a given cause and effect in order to relate it to a larger outcome.

Benefits: General illustrations are often easy to relate to because they rely on general, lived experiences or common knowledge. They can also rely on logical conclusions, so they are easy to understand—even if the reader has never experienced the situation.

Limitations: On the other hand, general illustrations can run the risk of being too general. In other words, their lack of specificity may cause them to be fallacious, meaning prone to mistakes in logic and application. Because of the nature of generalization, these illustrations may not be applicable to every case.

Example A: In an argument about the ills of texting while driving, the writer might state that most young adults think that texting while driving is not only easy, but can be done safely.

Example B: In an argument about strong African-American women in history, the writer might include some of the accomplishments and contributions of African-American women since 1900.

Example C: In an argument about how dogs remember their owners long after being separated from them, the writer might state that an overwhelming majority of pets are returned to their owners.

Types of General Illustrations (Examples)

· Statistics

· Results from scientific studies

· Analogies - a comparison between things that helps with the understanding of the first item being compared (e.g., a description of how the heart works much like a pump works)

3. Hypothetical illustrations: These illustrations are ones that are typically created by the writer. However, illustrations might also be borrowed from a professional, expert source. A hypothetical illustration suggests a scenario that is extremely likely based upon observed trends.

Benefits: When a trend is important to point to, these types of illustrations can be convenient. Often, they can be a passing example that drives home the point.

Limitations: This type of illustration is the weakest of the three because it can be easily flawed and accused of being fallacious because there is no true basis for it in reality. Further, often these types of illustrations are constructed from observation of patterns or trends, so the illustration may be a combination of observations or an assembly of several specific instances.

Example A: In an argument about the ills of texting while driving, the writer might discuss the latest laws against texting while driving, and the illustration would be a hypothetical situation in which a teenaged girl is pulled over for texting while driving. The writer might then refer to the girl as Jane, and describe what happens to Jane after she is pulled over.

Example B: In an argument about strong African-American women in history, the writer might describe how a young African-American could be inspired to follow in the footsteps of these historical figures. The illustration might create examples of how a female African-American youth can become involved within her own community by creating a hypothetical person who wants to affect her community, but is unsure how to go about it. Then the illustration can describe how she might do so.

Example C: In an argument about how dogs remember their owners long after being separated from them, the writer might describe how pets are returned to their owners using chip-scanning technology. The illustration might be one where the writer creates a hypothetical situation in which a dog who is lost but does not have a microchip or tag, and then describes the experiences of the dog as it is returned to its family.

Review

1. An illustration essay operates on the principle that an argument must be supported with examples in order to be effective.

2. The purpose of an illustrative writing is to show or demonstrate something in the clearest way possible by providing evidence to support a thesis.

3. An illustration (or example) is a thing that is characteristic of its kind or that exemplifies a general rule.

4. A precise illustration is a type of illustration that points to one specific case in which something occurred.

5. A general illustration is a type of illustration that is generic, meaning that it can apply to the majority of situations, but not all.

6. A hypothetical illustration is an illustration that suggests a scenario that is extremely likely based upon observed trends.