The Well Organized The Well Organized ParagraphParagraph

Or all the things I never Or all the things I never learned about how to arrange a learned about how to arrange a paragraph around quotes and paragraph around quotes and other evidence…other evidence…

As you know, a good essay contains As you know, a good essay contains several paragraphs introducing various several paragraphs introducing various kinds of evidence that explain how that kinds of evidence that explain how that evidence is working to prove your overall evidence is working to prove your overall argument to be reasonable.argument to be reasonable.

THESIS

QUOTE FROM TEXTSTATISICAL

DATA

ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE FROM

INTERVIEW

for example…

But what to do about But what to do about those pesky paragraphs?those pesky paragraphs?

Let’s try this exercise: Let’s try this exercise: imagine yourself a lawyer in imagine yourself a lawyer in a courtroom…a courtroom…

Writing a good Writing a good paragraph is just paragraph is just

like a lawyer like a lawyer presenting presenting

evidence in court.evidence in court.Okay, maybe not quite like this.

A good paragraph presents a quote A good paragraph presents a quote and then explains how it supports and then explains how it supports your overall thesis…your overall thesis…

…just like the way a lawyer presents a piece of evidence to a judge and jury and then explains how that evidence proves that a defendant is innocent or guilty.

The paragraph is what makes your The paragraph is what makes your evidence work in an essay. Without an evidence work in an essay. Without an effectively ordered paragraph, your effectively ordered paragraph, your evidence languishes and eventually evidence languishes and eventually fades away, unnoticed by your reader…fades away, unnoticed by your reader…

If you were a lawyer, you wouldn’t, for If you were a lawyer, you wouldn’t, for example, walk up to a judge and jury, example, walk up to a judge and jury, hold up the following in a zip-lock bag,hold up the following in a zip-lock bag,

say, “Gun,” and then stand there say, “Gun,” and then stand there silently.silently.

You would introduce the gun and then You would introduce the gun and then explain what about it was incriminating explain what about it was incriminating in this casein this case, such as…, such as…

Ballistics fingerprints permit records

(This is Elvis’s)

Do the bullets at the crime scene match this gun?

Are the fingerprints on the gun a match for the defendant?

Is the permit for the gun issued to the defendant?

So too works the So too works the paragraph.paragraph.

Let’s look at an example.Let’s look at an example.Let’s take an example from literature, such as the following quote from Toni Morrison’s Beloved: “A life. Could be” (60). And let’s imagine we’re writing an essay in which we are trying to argue that the novel is a work of optimism. Here’s a sample paragraph that might make use of this quote to make that argument…

Early in Early in BelovedBeloved, Morrison does in fact give a hint that , Morrison does in fact give a hint that Sethe might not live a life entirely defined by downward spiraling Sethe might not live a life entirely defined by downward spiraling tragedy. When Paul D takes Sethe and the girls to the carnival, tragedy. When Paul D takes Sethe and the girls to the carnival, there is a moment as they way along the road near sunset and there is a moment as they way along the road near sunset and Sethe sees the shadows of their hands intertwining, even though Sethe sees the shadows of their hands intertwining, even though the hands in actuality are yet to do this. “A life,” Sethe thinks to the hands in actuality are yet to do this. “A life,” Sethe thinks to herself, “Could be” (60). When she says, “A life,” Sethe is herself, “Could be” (60). When she says, “A life,” Sethe is considering the possibility that Paul D might stay with her and, in considering the possibility that Paul D might stay with her and, in a somewhat odd configuration, they could form mother and father a somewhat odd configuration, they could form mother and father for Denver and this new girl, Beloved, who has arrived in her for Denver and this new girl, Beloved, who has arrived in her home. And despite the fact that Sethe remains haunted by the home. And despite the fact that Sethe remains haunted by the murder of her child, the estrangement from her sons, and a host of murder of her child, the estrangement from her sons, and a host of other losses, Morrison offers some light at this point; when Sethe other losses, Morrison offers some light at this point; when Sethe briefly imagines a future, we too allow ourselves to imagine a briefly imagines a future, we too allow ourselves to imagine a future for her. While it’s important to consider how Morrison future for her. While it’s important to consider how Morrison offers some optimism early in offers some optimism early in BelovedBeloved, it’s only through a careful , it’s only through a careful examination of the beginning and conclusion of the text that her examination of the beginning and conclusion of the text that her optimism is confirmed.optimism is confirmed.

(1) (1) Early in Early in BelovedBeloved, Morrison does in fact give a hint that , Morrison does in fact give a hint that Sethe might not live a life entirely defined by downward spiraling Sethe might not live a life entirely defined by downward spiraling tragedy.tragedy. (2) (2) When Paul D takes Sethe and the girls to the carnival, When Paul D takes Sethe and the girls to the carnival, there is a moment as they way along the road near sunset and there is a moment as they way along the road near sunset and Sethe sees the shadows of their hands intertwining, even though Sethe sees the shadows of their hands intertwining, even though the hands in actuality are yet to do this.the hands in actuality are yet to do this. (3) (3) “A life,” Sethe thinks “A life,” Sethe thinks to herself, “Could be” (60).to herself, “Could be” (60). (4) (4) When she says, “A life,” Sethe is When she says, “A life,” Sethe is considering the possibility that Paul D might stay with her and, in a considering the possibility that Paul D might stay with her and, in a somewhat odd configuration, they could form mother and father for somewhat odd configuration, they could form mother and father for Denver and this new girl, Beloved, who has arrived in her home.Denver and this new girl, Beloved, who has arrived in her home. (5) (5) And despite the fact that Sethe remains haunted by the murder And despite the fact that Sethe remains haunted by the murder of her child, the estrangement from her sons, and a host of other of her child, the estrangement from her sons, and a host of other losses, Morrison offers some light at this point; when Sethe briefly losses, Morrison offers some light at this point; when Sethe briefly imagines a future, we too allow ourselves to imagine a future for imagines a future, we too allow ourselves to imagine a future for her. her. (6) (6) While it’s important to consider how Morrison offers some While it’s important to consider how Morrison offers some optimism early in optimism early in BelovedBeloved, it’s only through a careful examination , it’s only through a careful examination of the beginning and conclusion of the text that her optimism is of the beginning and conclusion of the text that her optimism is confirmed.confirmed.

IntroduceIntroduce LocateLocate PresentPresent ExplainExplain InterpretInterpret TransitionTransition

This simple six-step This simple six-step approach helps manage approach helps manage evidence in a paragraph.evidence in a paragraph.

1. INTRODUCE the overall topic.1. INTRODUCE the overall topic.

Early in Early in BelovedBeloved, Morrison does in fact give a hint that , Morrison does in fact give a hint that Sethe might not live a life entirely defined by downward Sethe might not live a life entirely defined by downward spiraling tragedy.spiraling tragedy.

2. LOCATE the specific location or occurrence of the evidence.

When Paul D takes Sethe and the girls to the carnival, When Paul D takes Sethe and the girls to the carnival, there is a moment as they way along the road near sunset there is a moment as they way along the road near sunset and Sethe sees the shadows of their hands intertwining, and Sethe sees the shadows of their hands intertwining, even though the hands in actuality are yet to do this.even though the hands in actuality are yet to do this.

3. PRESENT the evidence.““A life,” Sethe thinks to herself, “Could be” (60).A life,” Sethe thinks to herself, “Could be” (60).4. EXPLAIN the evidence, specifically

the language of it and how it works.When she says, “A life,” Sethe is considering the When she says, “A life,” Sethe is considering the possibility that Paul D might stay with her and, in a possibility that Paul D might stay with her and, in a somewhat odd configuration, they could form mother and somewhat odd configuration, they could form mother and father for Denver and this new girl, Beloved, who has father for Denver and this new girl, Beloved, who has arrived in her home.arrived in her home.

5. INTERPRET the evidence in terms of how it relates to and supports your overall argument (thesis).

And despite the fact that Sethe remains haunted by the murder of her And despite the fact that Sethe remains haunted by the murder of her child, the estrangement from her sons, and a host of other losses, Morrison child, the estrangement from her sons, and a host of other losses, Morrison offers some light at this point; when Sethe briefly imagines a future, we offers some light at this point; when Sethe briefly imagines a future, we too allow ourselves to imagine a future for her.too allow ourselves to imagine a future for her.

6. TRANSITION to the next piece of evidence (which can also be done in the next paragraph).

Now let’s all try this…Now let’s all try this…

First, get your piece of evidence First, get your piece of evidence ready. Second, review what ready. Second, review what your overall thesis is. your overall thesis is.

1Now, INTRODUCE/remind your

reader of that overall topic.

Next…Next…

LOCATE the specific location or occurrence of the evidence. If it’s from

a primary source, tell your reader where it comes from in the source and

what’s going on at the time.

2

Now…Now…

PRESENT the evidence.Be sure to copy it precisely if you’re using

a direct quote, and make sure you’re giving the correct citation information. Ask for help with this right now if you

need it.

3

Then…Then…

EXPLAIN the evidence, specifically the language of it and how it works. If you’re not quoting directly, then don’t worry about the language; focus more on making sense of

how the evidence works logically. If you are quoting directly for your evidence, try to re-quote a small portion of it, explaining how

those words are working for your argument overall.

4

And…And…

INTERPRET the evidence in terms of how it relates to and supports your overall argument (thesis). Let’s assume that I’ve forgotten your thesis at this point, so now’s your chance to remind me. Take a second right now to go back and firm it up in your mind; then explain to me how the quote or piece of evidence you’re working with right now ties into your thesis.

Answer this: why are we talking about this right now?

5

Lastly…Lastly…

TRANSITION to the next piece of evidence. Explain that while this

piece of evidence is important, the next one will also be essential for understanding the overall point.

(Again, this can also be done at the beginning of the next paragraph.)

6

Evidence-based Evidence-based paragraphs:paragraphs:

IntroduceIntroduce LocateLocate PresentPresent ExplainExplain InterpretInterpret TransitionTransition