Outlining

Outlining:

A formal outline is a highly structured visual map of your paper’s ideas and sequence of paragraphs. It organizes your ideas in a hierarchy of significance. It begins with your introductory paragraph, proceeds to your body paragraphs and ends with your conclusion paragraph. For an analysis essay a formal outline follows the following format:

OUTLINE GUIDE FOR DEFAULT ANALYSIS PAPER

I. TITLE OF YOUR ESSAY

A. INTRODUCTION

1. Opener

2. Linking Sentences

3. Literary Historical Context: (if needed)

4. Working Definitions: (if needed for terms used in thesis)

5. Embedded Plan of Attack and Thesis:

B. 1ST BODY PARAGRAPH

1. Quotation or Paraphrase-cite

• 1. Context: what are the events and fact surrounding this passage in the larger

text?

• 1. Condense: summarize the passage’s content in one sentence

  2. Connection: -how does this passage advance your topic sentence / thesis?

-why readers should care about the claims you make ?

C. 2ND BODY PARAGRAPH

1. Quotation or Paraphrase-cite

• 1. Context: what are the events and fact surrounding this passage in the larger

text?

• 1. Condense: summarize the passage’s content in one sentence

  2. Connection: -how does this passage advance your topic sentence / thesis?

-why readers should care about the claims you make ?

D. 3RD BODY PARAGRAPH

1. Quotation or Paraphrase-cite

• 1. Context: what are the events and fact surrounding this passage in the larger

text?

• 1. Condense: summarize the passage’s content in one sentence

  2. Connection: -how does this passage advance your topic sentence / thesis?

-why readers should care about the claims you make ?

E. 4TH BODY PARAGRAPH…

F. CONCLUSION

1. Return to topic in last paragraph and connect to thesis

2. React to the value of reading the text(s) and writing the paper / how it effected you

3. Ender: return to the language or idea in the opener to "frame" the paper

OUTLINE GUIDE WITH STARTERS:

I. TITLE OF YOUR ESSAY

A. INTRODUCTION

1. Opener : quote, narrative, questions, directives

2. Linking Sentences :

FOR NARRATIVES:

-The point of this short narrative is ____________________________________.

FOR QUOTATIONS:

-In the passage above, the author expresses the idea that ____________________________. This develops my belief that ___________________________.

FOR DIRECTIVES:

-I ask you to consider this situation because ____________________________________.

-It is important to connect to this idea because ____________________________________.

FOR RHETORICAL QUESTIONS:

-Having contemplated these scenarios, _______________________________.

-With these questions in mind, it becomes apparent that _______________________________.

3. Literary Historical Context:

-Written in (insert date) X exemplifies the tenets of (choose one: 16th and 17th century English Renaissance / 18th NeoClassicism / 19th century Romanticism / 20th century Modernism by_________________________________________.

4. Working Definitions:

-According to the author ___________ is __________________.

-In order to better understand the meaning of this text ___________ needs to be defined. _______________ is ______________________.

-Throughout his paper the word ________________ will be repeatedly used. __________________ is ______________________________.

5. Thesis with Embedded Plan of Attack: By analyzing the passages on ________________, _________________, and _______________, the assertion that __________________________ will be developed.

B. 1ST BODY PARAGRAPH

1. Quotation-cite

a. Context:

-When X states this, X is__________________________________.

-At this moment the narrator is recounting ______________.

- At this point in the poem the speaker has _______________.

b. Condense:

-In sum, the author / speaker / character / narrator’s view is _________________________________.

-This excerpt communicates the message that ________________________.

-This argument here is ______________________________.

c. Connection:

-This analysis captures the idea that ______________.

-My discussion of _______________ is in fact addressing the larger matter of ____________________________________.

C. 2ND BODY PARAGRAPH…

D. 3RD BODY PARAGRAPH…

E. 4TH BODY PARAGRAPH…

F. CONCLUSION

1. Return to topic in previous paragraph and connect to thesis: Having discussed ________________, it is important to recall that _______________________________________. (thesis).

2. React to the value of reading the text(s) and writing about the text(s):

- By reading and writing about ______________________________________,

this allowed the exploration of the significance of___________________________.

3. Ender: return the language or idea in the opener

-QUOTATION OPENERS: As the author (name) states in he opening of this paper, "________________" and this helps us keep focused on________________________.

-RHETORICAL QUESTION OPENERS: It is helpful to return to opening question of this paper, "________________" ;this helps us keep focused on________________________.

-DIRECTIVE OPENERS: Since we began the analysis focused on ___________________ ;this helps underscore the importance of________________________.

-SHORT NARRATIVE OPENERS: It is helpful to return to my experience when ___________________ ;this helps underscore the importance of________________________.

EXAMPLE OF STUDENT OUTLINE ON HAMLET:

I. Hamlet’s Transformation

A. Introduction

1. Opener- “To be or not to be,” asks Hamlet to himself in a famous soliloquy on suicide and acting morally, but this essay will answer the question who does Hamlet become.

2. Bridge sentences- In the passage above, Hamlet questions if he is moral. This develops the central question both the reader and Hamlet have throughout the play. Hamlet rejects suicide and develops a belief in himself and the world as rewarding as he matures throughout the play.

3. Historical / Literary Context: Written in 1605 William Shakespeare’s Hamlet exemplifies the tenets of 16th and 17th century English Renaissance by showing how influential man’s faith in God and self are to one’s destiny.

4. Working Definitions: In order to better understand the meaning of Hamlet concordia discors needs to be defined. Concordia discors is the English Renaissance belief that what seems to be chaotic is actually following an order unseen and uncontrolled by man. Hamlet learns to believe in the divine order of the world by the end of the play.

5. Thesis and Plan of Attack-Throughout the play Hamlet transforms from a solipsistic, pessimistic, vacillating loner to a confident man who believes in himself, his reason, his will, and Concordia discors.

B. Body paragraph 1: Hamlet as solipsistic

1. Oh that this too, too sullied flesh would melt,

Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew,

Or that the Everlasting had not fixed

His canon ‘gainst (self slaughter)! O God, God

(I, ii, 133-136)

a. Context: At this point in the play Hamlet has met the ghost and has learned of his father’s murder.

b. Condense: Hamlet’s argument here is that he wants to fade into nature but he knows God has forbidden suicide.

c. Connect:

- to thesis: This analysis captures the idea that he wants to escape from his human world and fade away into nothingness. He believes that human conscience is a curse because he knows suicide is wrong. He is too solipsistic.

- so what?: My discussion of Hamlet’s suicidal tendencies is in fact addressing the larger matter of morality and Hamlet is developing his moral foundation by rejecting suicide.

C. Body paragraph 2: Hamlet is rewarded

1. “Ere we were 2 days old at sea, a pirate of very warlike appointment gave us chase…They have dealt with me like thieves of mercy…I am to do a good turn for them.” (IV, vi, 15-22)

a. Context: When Hamlet writes this letter to Horatio, Hamlet is sailing for England to be killed for his murder of Polonius.

b. Condense: This excerpt communicates the message that Hamlet is starting to believe that the world is rewarding since the pirates saved him from death.

c. Connect:

-to thesis: This assertion that Hamlet is beginning to believe in himself and the world matters because the theme of the play contends that those who believe in the world and themselves are rewarded.

-so what?: Although this analysis is primarily concerned with Hamlet’s faith in his self and the world, it also develops the larger concept of the need to have faith in powers beyond one’s control and seems to be a call to have faith in God.

D. Body paragraph 3: Hamlet believes in the future

1. “Not a whit, we defy augury: there’s a special

providence in the fall of a sparrow. If it be now,

‘ tis not to come; if it be not to come, it will be

now; if it be not now, yet it will come: the

readiness is all…(V, ii, 212-218)

a. Context: At this point in the play, Hamlet has returned from sea, has learned of Laertes’s desire to kill him, and is talking to Horatio about his future duel with Laertes.

b. Condense: In the above excerpt, Hamlet emphasizes the presence of God’s will or “providence” in the world and His guidance of him throughout the play. Hamlet believes God will allow him to win the duel.

c. Connect:

-to thesis: This analysis is significant because it is Hamlet’s confidence in a beneficent God that allows him to have confidence that his actions will be rewarded.

-so what?: Although these claims may seem trivial, they are in fact crucial to understanding Hamlet because the play wants the reader to journey with Hamlet from solipsism to faith in the world.

E. Conclusion:

1. Return to topic in previous paragraph and connect to thesis:

Having discussed Hamlet's new faith in the world as rewarding, it helps to recall that Hamlet also learns to accept the gains and losses in life as formative to his character and beliefs. We witness Hamlet transform from a solipsistic, pessimistic, vacillating loner to a confident man who has confidence in the world. He embodies the belief that one must accept “buffets and rewards.”

2. React to the value of reading the text(s) and writing about the text(s):

- By writing about Hamlet’s transformation, this underscored the significance of having faith in one’s

self, one’s actions and the world.

3. Ender: As Hamlet states in he opening of this paper, "To be or not to be," it is clear that he is really asking

himself who he will become. Hamlet became a man with faith in himself, his actions, and the world