Essay Prompt for Wednesday, December 19th

• Huckleberry Finn is a novel filled with death: Huck’s own faked murder, his father’s body floating down the river, Emmeline Grangerford, the fued, and more to come. Would you consider the book morbid? If not, what purpose does all of the death in the novel serve?

Here's some reading that will help with your essay:

Persuasive Writing

The purpose of persuasive writing is to assert an opinion which you are going to defend and to offer supporting evidence (data) in order to convince the reader to agree with you. In the process, you deal with opposing views, thus convincing him/her of the superiority of your argument. Additionally, a good writer may present emotional as well as rational appeal. All of your reasoning should lead to a logical conclusion. If your subject matter warrants a change, you will offer a solution to the status quo in a proposal.

Persuasive essays should include documentation which will require research. By investigating your topic and including supporting comments from authorities, you give credibility to your argument.

Make a clear statement of what you believe or assert, your hypothesis/ thesis Statement.

Part II - Writing Process

The thesis/hypothesis is your statement of purpose. The thesis//hypothesis should be one sentence in length. This is the foundation of your essay and it will serve to guide you in writing the entire paper. Don't begin to write your essay until you have a clear thesis/hypothesis.

Thesis defined: A proposition that is maintained by argument. An affirmation, or distinction from a supposition or hypothesis.

Gather all factual information using guidelines for documentation and works cited. Consider all potential explanations, rating them in order of importance or relevance to the thesis/hypothesis statement. Assemble collected facts to support each explanation.

Prepare an outline arranging the explanations in the best order for the desired effect. The purpose of an outline is to make your task easier. As you write your outline, ask yourself whether each idea serves to clarify and strengthen the thesis/hypothesis. Use the sample outline by inserting your specific information into the outline structure.

Proofread. The computer can check spelling errors easily, but be aware that sometimes a word is correctly spelled but used incorrectly in a particular sentence. It is still important to proofread after the spell check.

Part III – Essay Outline

Introduction PLEASE WRITE ON YOUR OWN PAPER
Get the reader's attention by asking a leading question; relay something enticing about the subject in a manner that commands attention. Start with a related quote, alluring description, or narration.

State the thesis/hypothesis-the causes and effects to be discussed; comparison of subject X and subject Y; your position on the issue; your proposal if applicable; and the main points that will develop your argument.

Body
First Point, Assertion, Explanation
Supporting evidence (examples, facts, statistics, quoted authorities, details, reasons, examples)
Supporting evidence

Second explanation
Support
Support

Third explanation
Support
Support

Fourth explanation (continue as above with additional explanations as needed.)
Support
Support

Address opposing viewpoints

Conclusion
Show how explanations (causes) are logical reasons producing the effects discussed; review subject X and subject Y; reiterate your assertion and proposition (if applicable). Reemphasize your thesis/hypothesis in a fresh way, showing how your have achieved your purpose. If you intend to draw to a conclusion about one subject over the other, emphasize that point.

Deal with opposing views.

Appeal to the reader to see how you have come to a logical conclusion.

Make a memorable final statement.