How to write an introduction

1
Literary Analysis
How to write an introduction
conclusion
WOWing your Reader PRESENTATION SERIES
2
PURPOSE
The purpose of an introduction is to prepare the
reader for the body of writing that comes after
it.
The conclusion is the writer's final opportunity
to emphasize the essay's purpose. A
good concluding paragraph leaves the reader with
a final thought or challenge.
3
A Note on Your Introduction
You know what you are writing about and why. But
unless you inform your readers of this in an
introduction, they will feel lost and judge
your essay to be an unclear piece of work!
4
A good Introduction

• grabs the readers attention

• indicates the topic that the essay is about
  (restating the question topic)
• includes the name of the literary work and the
  author
• provides the reader with enough background
  information to make your essay understood
• explains the point of writing the essay (the
  thesis statement).

5
HOW TO CREATE AN INTRO
6
Example

• Suppose you had to write a five paragraph
• essay about Elie Wiesels use of setting in
• Night to show the effects of dehumanization
• on prisoners of death camps.

7
CREATE THE INTRO
Through countless works of literature,
contemporary society has learned of the
brutal tactics Nazi soldiers used to
dehumanize Holocaust
victims.
In his memoir, Night, Elie Wiesel sheds light on
the crimes of Holocaust perpetrators to teach the
world the truth of the tragedy. Wiesel uncovers
how Nazi soldiers would stop at nothing short of
making their victims less than sub-human through
unbelievable torture.
By pointing to the ironies of the mental and
physical setting victims endured, Wiesel creates
a masterpiece that teaches the current generation
Holocaust lessons in a way that other authors
cannot parallel.
8
Example

• Here would be the complete intro

Through countless works of literature,
contemporary society has learned of the brutal
tactics Nazi soldiers used to dehumanize
Holocaust victims. In his memoir, Night, Elie
Wiesel sheds light on the crimes of Holocaust
perpetrators to teach the world the truth of the
tragedy. Wiesel uncovers how Nazi soldiers would
stop at nothing short of making their victims
less than sub-human through unbelievable torture.
By pointing to the ironies of the mental and
physical setting victims endured, Wiesel creates
a masterpiece that teaches the current generation
Holocaust lessons in a way that other authors
cannot parallel.
9
What NOT to do

• Here is how someone new to
• academic essays may write the
• introduction

This essay is about the use of setting in
Night. First, a look at the irony of the physical
setting of the memoir is examined. Second, I
discuss a look at characterization. It is shown
that Wiesel uses a lot of literary elements to
prove his point. Therefore, the thesis of this
essay is that Elie Wiesel properly uses literary
elements to show the dehumanization of Holocaust
victims.
10
Whats wrong?

• Dont refer to the paper In this paper
  First, I will discuss
• Dont use I or you in a formal paper.
• Dont structure using First, Second, or
  third. Utilize transition thoughts and words.
• 4. This has a WEAK thesis
• (simply give a bold, factual
• sentence that expresses
• your position on
• the issue).

11
The Conclusion
Once you write the introduction, the conclusion
is easy
Intro
This . . .
Becomes This . . .
So, you take your introduction and FLIP itand
then reword it.
The 4th sentence of your intro
The 3rd sentence of your intro
The 2nd sentence of your intro
The 1st sentence of your intro
becomes a rough
1st sentence of your conclusion
2nd sentence of your conclusion
3rd sentence of your conclusion
4th sentence of your conclusion
12
The Conclusion
Intro Sentence 4 By pointing to the ironies of
the mental and physical setting victims endured,
Wiesel creates a masterpiece that teaches the
current generation Holocaust lessons in a way
that other authors cannot parallel.
Rewrite it for the Conclusion
Conclusion Sentence 1 Wiesels keen use of
irony and setting make real for the world what
would otherwise seem like an unbelievable
fictional story of brutality, torture and death.

13
The Conclusion
Intro Sentence 3 Wiesel uncovers how Nazi
soldiers would stop at nothing short of making
their victims less than sub-human through
unbelievable torture.
Rewrite it for the Conclusion
Conclusion Sentence 2 Tens of millions of
innocent victims are memorialized through the
painstaking attention to detail provided in
Night.
14
The Conclusion
Intro Sentence 2 In his memoir, Night, Elie
Wiesel sheds light on the crimes of Holocaust
perpetrators to teach the world the truth of the
tragedy.
Rewrite it for the Conclusion
Conclusion Sentence 3 The memoir serves as a
grim reminder of humanitys ability to hate and
kill in hopes that events of the Holocaust will
never repeat themselves.
15
The Conclusion
Intro Sentence 1 Through countless works of
literature, contemporary society has learned of
the brutal tactics Nazi soldiers used to
dehumanize Holocaust victims.
Rewrite it for the Conclusion
Conclusion Sentence 4 If humanity fails to
learn the lessons left behind by Wiesel and
countless authors who have worked to uncover the
realities of the Holocaust, people are doomed to
repeat the bondage from which so many victims
have tried to set the world free.
16
This is how the Conclusion would read
Wiesels keen use of irony and setting make
real for the world what would otherwise seem like
an unbelievable fictional story of brutality,
torture and death. Tens of millions of innocent
victims are memorialized through the painstaking
attention to detail provided in Night. The memoir
serves as a grim reminder of humanitys ability
to hate and kill in hopes that events of the
Holocaust will never repeat themselves. If
humanity fails to learn the lessons left behind
by Wiesel and countless authors who have worked
to uncover the realities of the Holocaust, people
are doomed to repeat the bondage from which so
many victims have tried to set the world free.
17
Up Next . . .

• Writing the body of your essay.
• Turning your essay into a research piece.