["hook"] The concept of identity is a complex one, shaped by individual characteristics, family, society and even politics. Who am I? The answer sadly depends in large part on who the world around me says I am. [Summary/background information] In the essay ‘The Danger of a Single Story’ by Chimamanda Adichie, she believes that stories matter, but all too often in our lives we operate from the perspective of hearing and knowing a single story about a person, a situation or a conflict. Adichie believes that the single story is what can lead people to default assumptions, conclusions and decisions that might lead to misunderstanding and stereotypes that even she experienced in her life. [Thesis Statement] Some may argue that is not important to recognize the complexity in ourselves and others; however, I strongly believe that its extremely important to recognize how complex we are because we can mitigate and minimize the harmful impact of stereotypes.
Other materials:
Paragraph structure: https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/paragraphs/ (This link includes information about the components of an effective paragraph.)
Verbs to introduce quotes: Effective Verbs for Referring to Source Material
Our body paragraphs explain our supporting points for our thesis statement.
Thesis:
“I agree with Adichie that it is important to recognize how complex other people’s cultures are because if we do not, it contributes to the marginalization of certain powerless people.”
Body Paragraph Components:
One way single stories make people feel powerless is that they teach people at a young age whose story gets told and whose doesn’t. While writing about her reading of British and American children’s books as a young child, Adichie states, “What this demonstrates, I think, is how impressionable and vulnerable we are in the face of a story, particularly as children” (1). In fact, she uses words like “impressionable” and “vulnerable” to show how much we are influenced by the message from those in power that certain people’s stories belong in books and other people’s stories do not. Moreover/Furthermore, she specifies that she is talking about readers “as children” because to her this is when we are most vulnerable. Therefore/As a result, we are at that crucial stage of adolescence when we observe the world but might not understand it – or [might not] be mature enough to challenge it.
Additionally, Adichie points out that…
Referenceļ¼
https://github.com/Qingquan-Li/files/blob/main/LearnEnglish/writing/4/Conclusions.pdf
A conclusion is the last paragraph of your essay and presents your final thoughts on the topic at hand without introducing new information. The conclusion accomplishes two important goals: it reminds the audience of what they read before and creates both a lasting impact on the reader and a sense of resolution.
In order to remind your readers of what you have tried to prove in your essay, start your conclusion by restating your thesis.
This version of your thesis statement should not simply be a word-for-word recapitulation of what you wrote in your introduction.
In order to remind your readers of how you proved your thesis, you should follow it with a brief summary of the points you made in your essay. Again, this recapitulation should be expressed in words different from the topic sentences of your body paragraphs.
You can prompt your readers to think more about your topic by ending the conclusion with a quote, call to action, or prediction.
You may want to introduce an authority figure or a more universal source to conclude the essay, adding support to your main points and showing a connection to other works and ideas. This quote should reinforce the ideas in your essay and be no longer than two lines.
Example:
For all of these reasons, New York City’s Mayor, Bill DeBlasio, was correct when he called pizza “New York’s favorite food.”
Recommend an action for readers to take on their own. If you are persuasive enough, this should create a concrete objective for them, one that they can work towards using the information that you have supplied.
Example:
So stand up for pizza and inform pizza critics of its value and potential to be a smart food choice.
Tell the reader what you believe will happen next concerning the subject based on what you have discussed in the rest of the essay. Like the call to action, a prediction allows your readers to think critically about the subject after they has finished the paper.
Example:
This food will only improve as future generations continue to develop new and innovative ways to make pizza.
[Thesis] Far from being mere junk food, pizza turns out to be a delicious, nutritious, affordable, and customizable meal. [Main Points] With its infinite variety of toppings, pizza offers a wealth of healthy choices to its consumers. Furthermore, it has the potential to please anyone from a food connoisseur to a hungry citizen searching for a quick and affordable option no matter where they are in the world. [Impactful Ending] This food will only improve as future generations continue to develop new and innovative ways to make pizza.