Alice Walker: Beauty: When the Other Dancer Is the Self

You are the critic. Choose an essay from The Norton Reader. Be sure that you feel strongly about
the text(s)—either negatively or positively evaluating. Look for patterns or tendencies that the
author may use, and judge them. What is the purpose of your evaluation? Conceptually, you
must argue a stance with a purpose, using examples from the text to prove your point. Argue.
The structure of the essay:
I. Introduction – One paragraph:
1) Open with an attention grabber.
2) Give background or perhaps an illustrative example to show the significance of the subject or
the nature of the controversy.
3) Consider stating the conclusion of your argument (claim) here as the thesis of your essay, and
it should mention the method/plan/reasons for such an evaluation.
II. Presentation of your argument – At least three paragraphs:
1) Paragraph Reason One
2) Paragraph Reason Two
3) Paragraph Reason Three
Throughout the body of your essay, to prove your thesis, build your case one point at a time,
perhaps devoting one paragraph to the defense of each of your premises, or setting forth your
evidence in (at least three) separate, meaningful categories (one category per paragraph). These
three reasons confirm the thesis as subclaims. This means that you must have at least three body
paragraphs for this part.
Please remember that each body paragraph should have a standard structure:
1) topic sentence – argumentative and mentions which reason from thesis
2) introduction to an example (this may be a transition or explanation of context)
3) the actual example: a summary, paraphrase, or quotation, cited MLA style
4) argue what the reader should respond to regarding the example so that the reader absorbs your
opinion rather than forming their own opinion
5) concluding sentence for paragraph – argumentative and mentions which reason
III. Conclusion – One paragraph:
1) Remind the reader of the overall argument (thesis) using different wording
2) Summarize
3) Leave the reader with a memorable moment
After all your evidence has been presented and/or your premises defended, pull your whole
argument together in the last paragraph by showing how the evidence you have presented
provides sufficient grounds for accepting your conclusion. You may also add here some
conventional device to finish your essay, such as a prediction, a new example, a reference to the
example with which you began (now seen in a new light), etc.
Here is some more technical advice. Remember that you have to use present tense to write about
texts. When you summarize, paraphrase, or quote, you must use in-text citations MLA style. You
must also provide a bibliography; you are required to provide the bibliographical information of
the text you are analyzing. You are welcome to use additional sources, such as commentary by
another critic; however, if you use additional sources, these sources need to also be documented
properly so that you do not plagiarize. Give recognition when you are providing others’ work.
Every subject has a plethora of jargon, but you can evaluate a text yourself using your own
words. Your professor may use some literary terminology, but only use the vocabulary if you
understand it and can apply it to the text. What is most important is your overall argument about
the text.
THE MORE YOU CAN CHECK ON THE FOLLOWING LIST, THE HIGHER THE
GRADE WILL BE:
_____ Essay consistently has an argumentative tone with a directed purpose.
_____ Essay has an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.
_____ Introduction opens by grabbing the reader’s attention, later clarifies the topic, and then
closes with the thesis.
_____ Thesis is an argumentative statement, is specific, and hints at the subtopics in the body.
_____ Any emotion in the conclusion has the same tone in the thesis.
_____ All topic sentences are related to the thesis.
_____ Each paragraph has an identifiable topic sentence.
_____ The tone and content of the topic sentence is coherent and consistent throughout the
paragraph.
_____ The flow between paragraphs is smooth.
_____ Enough transitional phrases and sentences are used throughout the essay.
_____ Each body paragraph is dedicated to one point that is a subtopic of the thesis.
_____ Each body paragraph has either an extended example or three short examples to support
each subtopic/point.
_____ Each example includes at least one sentence with a cited summary, paraphrase, or
quotation.
_____ Each paragraph contains at least 50% of the student’s own ideas.
_____ Student separates his or her ideas and voice from the author’s concepts and persona by
using signal phrases.
_____ Each paragraph does not overdo quotations. (Limit the maximum quotations to 15% of the
paragraph.
_____ Each paragraph does not overdo paraphrases. (Limit the paraphrases to 15% of the
paragraph.)
_____ Each paragraph does not overdo summaries. (Limit summaries to 15% of the paragraph.)
_____ Essay varies the way quotations, summaries, and paraphrases are introduced.
_____ Student elaborates the on the purpose of each example before and after each quotation,
paraphrase, or summary.
_____ Essay is sensitive to academic audiences.
_____ Essay uses a tone appropriate for academic papers.
_____ Essay avoids slang.
_____ Essay avoids clichés.
_____ Essay avoids awkward shifts in pronouns.
_____ Essay has functional sentence structure.
_____ Essay has correct usage of verbs and other parts of speech.
_____ Essay uses active verbs.
_____ Essay uses literary present.
_____ The title of the essay hints at the thesis and is centered.
_____ Essay is MLA 12-point, Times New Roman font, heading (student’s name, professor’s
name, course, and date) aligned left on first page only, header (surname and page number)aligned right on every page. (See MLA paper samples online.)Title of book: The Norton Reader. Fourteenth Edition. Author,Melissa A. Goldthwaite. Joseph Bizup, John Brereton,Anne Fernald, Linda Peterson