Both of the blog post paragraphs you must complete this summer should follow this general format, which will prepare you for writing body paragraphs in Honors-level essays. Each of the posts will have specific requirements for its topical content, but this is how you should structure a response:
1. TOPIC SENTENCE: The first sentence of a body paragraph should state a thesis point that you're going to defend with argument and evidence from the primary text (the main work you're writing about). 2. INTRODUCE EVIDENCE: In a sentence or two, lay out what the reader needs to know to understand the first example you're going to discuss. Always assume your audience knows the plot of the novel, so don't go overboard here. 3. TEXTUAL EVIDENCE: Provide a quotation from the primary text which supports your viewpoint. It must be part of a sentence and have a proper MLA citation, like this - Bradbury presents Mildred as devoid of ambition, as evidenced by her statement, "XXXXXXXX" (Bradbury #). 4. REPEAT STEPS TWO AND THREE FOR ANOTHER PIECE OF TEXTUAL EVIDENCE. 5. CLOSING COMMENTARY ON HOW THE TEXTUAL EVIDENCE PROVES YOUR POINT: The most important part of the paragraph. Now that you're laid out an idea and connected it to two quotations from the text, what do you want readers to take away from that connection? What have you shown us within the words that we might not otherwise have seen, thereby increasing our comprehension of the novel's themes or potential interpretations? The final line in particular should, if possible, echo the opening line. NOTE: A body paragraph of this sort is no less than 8 sentences!
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7/31/2015 01:57:01 pm
In Ray Bradbury's quote regarding his famous novel, Fahrenheit 451, he claims that the focus of the novel is on the people of that society and that there are negative and almost desensitizing effects that TV has on the people-a concept that I fully agree is the focus of the novel and remains relevant in the world today. Guy Montag, a fireman, decides to visit Faber in hopes that Faber will teach him about books and the possible impacts of not having them in their society. Faber soon explains to him why the government decided to burn all the books. Bradbury establishes the focus of the novel on the people of the society and the effects that TV has on them rather than censorship of the state through Faber's statement, "I remember the newspapers dying like huge moths. No one wanted them back. No one missed them. And then the government, seeing how advantageous it was to have people reading only about passionate lips and the fist in the stomach, circled the situation with your fire-eaters," (Bradbury 89). The people in this novel ultimately were the factor which decided that the books in this society would be burned. The people thought they were content with their advancing technology and felt it less and less necessary to keep books and newspapers as apart of the society. The government started burning books merely because it was the most advantageous thing to do in response to books and newspapers being used less by the people. The effects of TV and other advancing technology in this society is shown because this decision of the government would soon deprive their society from the great literature, and abstract, challenging ideas that books provided, dulling the society as a whole. The TVs and technology also cause the people to experience a false sense of happiness which would make them believe they no longer needed books. For example, Guy Montag illustrates many times throughout the novel that he believes himself to be unhappy-something he didn't discover until getting a new view on their society and realizing how valuable books can be. This also explains why Mildred insists that she's happy, yet she, along with many others, attempted to commit suicide. They may not realize it, but advancing technology and a lack of books have caused their lives to become dull and systematic. They feel that they're content with their TVs and don't need books to be happy, but in reality, they continuously watch TV to feel "happy" because technology caused their lives to become uninteresting. In a way, they're addicted to the "happiness" that they feel while watching TV, then when they stop watching, the happiness goes away. This concept of a false happiness exists in this world today as many people claim to be addicted to watching TV. A New York Times article written by Daniel Goleman describes the idea of a TV addiction and why many people have them. In one particular study, it was found that, TV provided people with a feeling of happiness which then went away after the people stopped watching TV. This is illustrated when the author describes, "While ordinary viewers say television relaxes them while they watch, afterward they feel far less relaxed, less happy and less able to concentrate than after participating in sports or other leisure activities," (Goleman 1). This relaxation that the viewers felt while watching TV and the lack of relaxation and happiness they felt after watching TV relates to the idea that the people in Bradbury's novel are addicted to the happiness that they feel while watching TV. This also explains the lack of happiness they feel when they're not watching TV, which compels many to attempt suicide. If the people keep watching, they forget how monotonous their lives have become because they don't do any other leisurely activities, such as reading books. As the study shows, the people in the novel would be more happy and relaxed if there were still books in their society because reading is an alternate pastime. In this way, the TVs have dulled the peoples' lives by making them believe that they didn't need any other leisurely activities to be happy, but in truth, the TVs have made them more sad and less relaxed, to the point where many people attempt suicide. This ended up happening, not because the government decided books weren't appropriate, but because the false happiness the TVs provide them with desensitized them to believe they didn't need books, ironically leading to their dissatisfaction.
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August 2016
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