Morality and Faith: a new hook...

Around 24 minute-mark into the penultimate episode of The Following's second season, the sociopath wax's poetic about the idea of morality and religion. Let's review this scene and then explore how the argument made, in context of real life, what is said relates to the child soldiers of Sierra Leone.



How, then, does this video relate to the working thesis: Beah's having to steal and kill in order to survive the war illustrates how morality is dependent on circumstances.

• Beah and the other children are torn apart from their families, chased village to village by murderous rebels. 

• Beah's morality depends on a civilized society, but war instilled fear in everybody.

• ....

DRAFTING AND REVISING Essay Introductions [The Opening Paragraph(s)]

General Introduction Content

1. Hook: opening sentence(s) of essay that sets up your topic

2. Put the hook in context for thesis topic: background information on thesis topic

3. Thesis statement and subtopics that body paragraph explores

General Hooks (p.26 in RR)

The purpose of a hook is to draw your reader in to what you have to say. You don't want the hook to sound too broad and anonymous. You want to one of the general hooks below in a creative, but thesis-connected way: 

1. Relevant quote

• When hooking reader with a quote or a fact (#5), build the clearest context by using an introductory phrase

• (Specific person--use adjectives to identify,)  wrote/stated?/inquired/..., "...."

• According to ________, ...

• "...," wrote ________. (so the phrase becomes a transitional phrase that allows that quote to be quickly connected to your 'new' ideas.)

• Or...try out your own introductory phrase that gives context.

2. Personal anecdote (brief story with a clear message)

3. Provocative and relevant question or statement.

4. Specific Example that fit your subject (perhaps one you will actually bring back and expand on later in your body

• Specific can involve a clear individual person/thing/place or a clear group of people/things/places
• specific: the Ford Focus; Michael Jordan; Hollywood actors; Beah
• too broad: people, everyone (wrong!); workers; we; them...

5. Relevant fact: particularly one that sets the tone and allows you to explore the fact specifically as it relates to your thesis.

•  For example, a fact about how many different ethnicities live in the USA in an essay in which the writer explores how food is a ticket to other cultures for them. 

Logical Steps an Forming that Introduction Hook

1. Have your thesis and subtopics at least drafted and outlined; these ideas are your map directions!

2. Decide which type of hook most interests you. Think about your essay: purpose, audience, subject matter, and most importantly--who are you? 

3. Try drafting a hook that lasts for 2-4 sentences. 

• A good hook will use "key words" and be "as specific as possible" --> there are different levels of the idea of "start broadly and funnel down." The best writers understand, or at least work on, the nuances of "specific" versus "broad."

• Rather than opening up so broad that you start with "Morality" -- start with a specific moral conflict (one that relates to your essay's subject matter).

4. Use language in your hook sentences that will reappear and unify your transition to the subtopics and thesis.   (This is why having a solid, focused thesis statement helps a lot. You can borrow words there to inspire the opening sentences...)