Entry #7: From paragraph to essay

My notes from "From paragraph to essay" include:

• 4 types sentences:

• Paragraph introducers: can be either topic introducer or topic sentence.

• Topic introducer: establish the topic of discussion.

• Topic sentence: narrowly defines the topic.

• Paragraph developers: present examples or details of the topic.

• Paragraph modulators: provide transition between sets of ideas.

• Transitional sentences provide this function in paragraphs by comparison. Useful in procedure 2.

• Paragraph terminators: conclude the ideas, restate the topic sentence or synthesize.

• List paragraphs: list items using transitional words to avoid a shopping list appearance.

• Paragraph by example.

• Is a kind of list paragraph.

• Lists examples to support the topic sentence.

• Essay development by examples

• Sentences in paragraph become topic sentences in individual paragraphs of the essay

• Create an outline with phrases and get it approved before writing the essay.

• Paragraph by comparison:

• Compares similarities of two subjects, A and B.

• Procedures can, either:

• Alternate between examples of A and examples of B.

• List all the examples of A followed by all the examples of B.

• Paragraph by contrast:

• Equal to paragraph by comparison, only that it compares differences rather than similarities.

• Editing: the rewriting of a first or intermediate draft.

• Between sentences or paragraphs: clarify relationship between ideas, restating or removing ideas.

• Within sentences: reorder of phrases, switching verbs, altering the length of the sentence.

• Individual words: Spelling and capitalization. Synonymy.

Sample Paragraph

The Problem of Motherhood in Dafoe’s Moll Flanders and Roxana

The similarities and contrasts between Daniel Dafoe’s heroines Moll Flanders and Roxana have been described by many critics. Although the two women’s affairs with numerous men have been examined carefully, their relationships with their children have attracted little critical attention. Moll and Roxana between them bear twenty-four children, but only two - - Moll’s son Humphry ad Roxana’s daughter Susan - - are even named. The lack of details about the children is partly explained by the fact that both Moll and Roxana are telling only their stories, not those of the people around them. This tendency of Moll and Roxana to concentrate on themselves and virtually ignore their children has caused critics to label the two women as “unnatural mothers.” In fact, Dafoe uses the acceptance or rejection of motherhood as a final step in the redemption or ultimate fall of Moll Flanders and Roxana.

Rinehart, S. English literature 203. “The Problem of Motherhood in Dafoe’s Moll Flanders and Roxana”. Professor Perkins. Academic record (2017).

Analysis

• The title of the paragraph (and, by extention, of the whole essay) is a noun phrase. It showcases nominalization (“Motherhood”) and a word of latin origin (“Problem”).

• The paragraph is a topic paragraph, as it is the first paragraph of the essay. It contains elements of a comparison paragraph: the compared elements are the characters named “Moll” and “Roxana”.

• Sentence 1 is the topic introducer and Sentence 2 is the topic sentence. In S1 the theme (old information) is a cataphoric reference to the critics that have examined Dafoe’s work. The rhyme (new information) starts after the comma and it is developed throughout the essay.

• Sentences 3 and 4 are a comparison between the character’s realtionship to their children. They are also paragraph developers.

• Sentence 6 is the paragraph terminator. It does not reestate the topic sentence, rather is the thesis statement of the essay.

• Words relations:

• The characters are first introduced in S1, and they are restated in S2 as “two women”, “unnatural mothers” in S5 and directly by name in the rest of the sentences. The posesive pronoun “their” in S4 also refers to them.

• “critics” in S1 relates to “examined carefully” in S2 (to examine is one of the core activities of a critic), and to “little critical attention”, also in S2.

• The word “children” is a diegetic reference to Moll and Roxana. It appears in sentences 2 and 3 as a cataphoric reference and sentences 3 and 4 as an anaforic reference.

• Transitional words are: “Although” in S2 (implying concession) and “In fact” in S6 which introduces the writer’s standpoint. There are no transitional sentences.
  
  

Note: I honestly couldn't find a satisfying paragraph in time. I don't know where to find them.