The Lively Art of Writing

Chapter 1:

What Is an Essay?

So what is an essay really and what is its

purpose?

An essay is:the written expression of

it’s author’s opinion

What does this mean?

AN ESSAY’S PURPOSE IS TO EXPRESS THE AUTHOR’S

OPINION (a personal opinion)

This is the critical difference between the essay and the report.

An essay does not merely record facts or recount experiences; it

registers the author’s opinion of these facts and experiences.

The methods you use to express your opinion may vary enormously, depending to some extent on subject matter, but to an even greater extent upon your particular view of life, the way you look at things.

You may use different techniques to put your opinion forward:

•Seriously

•Humorously

•Scientifically

•Imaginatively

•Formally

•Informally

•State your opinion explicitly

•Imply it subtly

But no matter what technique you use, your opinion is always

present.

It is at the heart of EVERY essay

Obviously then, you must have an opinion before you can write an

essay.

So…we need to look at a couple of things before we begin to write our

essay:

First, What is an opinion, how do I arrive at it, and how do I judge its

value?

But…

Before you can reach an opinion you must first decide upon a subject…for no opinion exists by itself. Opinion

always exists in relation to a particular subject.

So we need to decide…

WHAT MAKES A GOOD SUBJECT FOR AN ESSAY?

“What do I write about?”This is the universal student question, a kind of midnight howl of anguish, loudest and most hopeless the night before an essay assignment is due.

However, of all problems an essayist must tackle, in some ways the choice

of subject is the simplest.

The choice of subject is almost limitless…the only requirement is that the writer know enough about

his/her subject to arrive at some kind of opinion.

“How do I know if I know enough?” you might be asking.

Some ideas and experiences are so common to all of us that it could be

said that everybody “knows enough.” Things like, friendship, family,

relationships, growing up, eating, sleeping, working, playing, etc.

But for the purposes of this essay, (The Senior Thesis)

you need more specialized knowledge of a certain subject.

You need SOLID information.

Where do I find this information?

The library resources and internet databases.

Even a subject you may be only mildly interested in may spark when you begin

researching and gathering information on it.

By reading what others have already written about a subject that interests you, you will

come very quickly into possession of a specialized knowledge of this subject.

So don’t rule any subject out at first…

However, whatever subject you do decide, you need to make sure your

opinion on the subject is an informed opinion…you need to KNOW what you are talking

about.

“How do I come to know what I am talking about?”

By reading, researching and gathering as much information as you can so you can

have an informed opinion on your subject.

What is an “informed opinion” and how do I reach it?

A genuine opinion, strong enough to support the structure of an essay, must

meet certain specifications…

…all of them clearly laid out in this definition:

opinion: A belief not based on absolute certainty or positive

knowledge, but on what seems true, valid or probable to one’s own

mind; what one thinks; judgment.

Test ANY opinion against this definition and you will know

immediately whether you have chosen a valid essay topic.

It will make clear the difference between opinion and fact; the failure to make this distinction is perhaps the

most common error among student writers.

--Is your opinion based on absolute certainty?

--Is your opinion based on positive knowledge?

--Can you prove beyond all reasonable doubt that it is true?

Then it is NOT an opinion at all, it is a FACT…or an observation so commonplace that it has the status of a fact.

FACTS must be converted into OPINIONS before they

can serve as essay topics.

For example:It is a fact that the population of the United States is now more than 300 million.

This figure is a matter of record, it can be proven.

To convert such a fact into a suitable essay topic you must ask yourself what it means; you must judge it, reach an OPINION about it.

For example, you might come up with one of the following judgments:

1. The character of our national life is changing as a result of our increased population.

--or--2. Immediate research is necessary to guarantee a

food supply in the future.--or--

3. New ways of educating young people must be found if public education is to survive.

Thus, by making a judgment, you have converted a fact into an

opinion—and you have a valid essay topic.

But sometimes an opinion must be discarded as an essay topic because it is

so generally accepted that it has the status of a fact.

For example: You choose to write an essay about friendship and come up with an opinion

like this:

“Friendship is an important human relationship.”

Is this a fact or an opinion?

You may claim it is opinion because it cannot be scientifically or statistically proven.

Yet, it is a poor opinion for essay purposes because it is not in any real sense subject to argument.

For all practical purposes, it is a fact.

Only an extremely gifted and original writer could hope to make it interesting.

Therefore, opinion statements like this one must be converted, just as facts must be converted, into sharply defined judgments.

By changing the statement to: “Friendship is the most important human relationship” you add zest and interest to your topic. You make people more excited to read about it.

“So how do I make my opinion statement interesting and thought-provoking?”

The best way is to bombard it with questions.

For example: --Do boys make better friends than girls?

--Is real friendship possible between a boy and a girl?

--Is friendship possible between parents and children?

--Does friendship usually have an element of self-interest?

Your answers to any of these questions (or to a hundred others that may occur to you) will provide you, automatically, with an opinion—and

therefore an essay topic.

Asking yourself “yes” or “no” questions in relation to your topic is perhaps the simplest method of arriving at an opinion.

But…you may find an even more interesting topic by asking yourself “how, why, and what” questions.

--How can parents and children learn to be friends?--Why are boys better friends than girls (or vice versa)?--What is friendship?

The point is that each answer is an opinion, but these questions go beyond the simple answer of “yes” or “no”. So…The more and deeper questions you ask yourself, the better because you will come to better opinions and therefore a better essay topic.

So what makes an opinion interesting?

No argument, no essay. It’s as simple as that. For every essay is actually an argument.It is the author pitting his opinion against every other opinion on the same subject.And, the stronger the opposition, the hotter the argument—and the greater the interest.

Make sure then that when you choose an opinion to defend, that it is an

opinion that rubs at least a few people the wrong way.

“Girls are smarter than boys”—say this, (if you’re bold enough) and immediately you have half the population opposing you.“Boys are smarter than girls”—say this, (if you’re bolder still) and you have the other half on your back.

Opposition--and therefore interest—is guaranteed.

You do not need to be bluntly argumentative, but you do need to take a position.

Examples:“Drag racing promotes safety.”

“Students should be required to do more writing.”

“The best movie of the year was Twilight.”

“Robert Pattinson is the most gorgeous man alive.”

Examining the Opposition

As you begin to shape an opinion for your essay, force yourself to question your position by considering carefully everything that can be said in favor of

an exactly opposite opinion.

Examples:*If you want to prove that drag racing promotes safety, look for the reasons that other people have for believing it promotes a love of danger.*If you believe students should do more writing, consider all the reasons for doing less writing.*If you believe Twilight was the best movie of the year, think of all the reasons why it wasn’t.*If you believe Robert Pattinson is the most gorgeous man alive…

The point is that whatever argument you choose, make sure you are aware of every argument against your particular point of view.

Your purpose in your essay is to persuade your reader to your particular point of view, not to prove that you are right, so the

strength of your essay depends on how well you persuade your reader to agree with your particular point

of view.

So, to help you decide whether or not an opinion you are considering could be a good essay topic, check the topic against these questions:1. Can a valid argument be made against it?

2. Can I defend it logically against this argument?

If you can answer “yes” to both of these questions, you can be reasonably sure that you are

on the trail of an interesting essay topic.

Believe What You SayA good essay topic will always be

subject to argument, but the argument must be honest and intelligent. You

have to present your argument as something you believe

wholeheartedly in, do not leave holes for misinterpretation.

BE the EXPERT on your opinion. Make sure you have enough

information and research to back it up, but YOU MUST PRESENT YOURSELF AS THE EXPERT!

So…

To Sum It All Up:

#1: Pick a subject, examine everything you know about it,

and arrive at an honest opinion.

#2: Think before you write.

Never sit down to write until you have thought long enough and hard enough

about one subject to have an opinion about it—an opinion that you believe in and want to share, one that you can defend logically

and honestly.

#3: Opinion always comes first.This is the unbreakable rule.

Opinion comes first because as soon as you have an opinion, you have something to say. Once you have something to say,

then you learn how to say it.

Now…

Let’s See How Well You Were Listening:

Get out a sheet of looseleaf paper & put your name on the top.

It’s time for a little quiz…(yes, this counts as a grade)

Question #1:

What is the difference between opinion and fact?

Question #2:

How important are facts in an essay?

Question #3:

Is one opinion as good as another?

Explain your answer.

Question #4:

Assuming that the writer has an adequate background in his

subject, would “American foreign policy”

be a good general subject for an essay? Why or why not?

Question #5:

The titles below are grouped around particular subjects.

Which title in each group would make the best essay

topic?Why?

a. Sewing as a Hobbyb. Clothes You Make Yourselfc. Sewing Is Suddenly “In”d. How to Make a Pleated Skirt

e. Cars for Teen-Agersf. Driver-Training Programs Cost Too Muchg. Twin Carburetorsh. Styling on the Latest Sports Models

i.Moby Dickj. The Symbolism in Moby Dickk. The Character of Ahab in Moby Dickl. Moby Dick, America’s Greatest Novel

m.Why Should Students Study Literature?n.High Points In American Literatureo. Literature in Relation to Historyp. Most Students Can’t Read

q. The Student Council is Outdatedr. Student Councils and Student Governments. The President of the Student Councilt. Your Student Council

Ok, We’re finished…please hand in

your quizzes.