It is essential that you use evidence from your book to add to your argument. Each body paragraph should have a quote to back up the topic. Don't just drop the quotes in, however: remember to introduce and unpack them. Here is the example we looked at in class from a letter-essay about the themes in The Outsiders :
I believe The Outsiders is, first and foremost, a book about friends. Some of the friends are leaders and some are followers. I see evidence of this when Ponyboy says, “But I realized that these three appealed to me because they were like the heroes in the novels I read” (p. 76). This quote shows how much the younger guys looked up to the older ones.
Notice how the theme is first stated, then the quote is introduced. After the quote, the writer takes a moment to explain her point once more to really hammer home the argument. If you need a sentence starter to help you with this, look to the document in your reader's notebook called "Writing about Reading: Some Openers". Number 23 on that list gives you an excellent framework for working textual evidence into your own writing.
Remember all the general requirements of a letter-essay (look back in your reader's notebook if you're unsure):
- Include the title, author, and genre of the book
- Attempt to rate the book (recognizing that rating might change once you reach the ending)
- 2 pages double spaced, Times New Roman, 12 point font
Please email me if you have any questions. I'll look forward to seeing your letter-essays (printed and attached to your reader's notebooks) on Monday!
Happy writing!
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