English 7H students must submit a five OR more paragraph essay (INTRO, THREE or more BODY PARAGRAPHS + CONCLUSION) Local Fiction Unit: Informative/Explanatory Essay 100 points
When John Steinbeck dreamed of being a writer, he dreamed of writing like Jack London, who was the most popular writer of his time and wrote about working-class characters. He, like London, was more interested in the lives of ordinary people, and he saw the nobler virtues in them, not in the privileged class that he knew at Stanford.
Writing prompt: Steinbeck and London tackle similar themes in their respective work. Compare and analyze each author’s treatment of two or more themes in John Steinbeck’s The Pearl and in the short fiction of Jack London.
*you may use any combination of Jack London stories
We have read “Just Meat,” “Moon Face” and “The Law of Life” as a class. You can use your video trailer project story, and we will try to read “A Piece of Steak” as a class if time permits.
Each body paragraph will require one quote from The Pearl and one from any of these London stories. You can use any combination of London stories or stick to just one.
The thesis statement is the controlling idea of your paper, so please make sure you have a strong thesis to build your essay around before you start.

The thesis statement always answers the writing prompt, so here’s an example:
Both John Steinbeck and Jack London tackle themes of death, redemption, and greed in their work.

Steinbeck and London were interested in the lives of common people. Their work also addressed many similar themes, such as death, redemption, and greed.
In this case, your body paragraphs will then be about death, redemption, and greed.
Each paragraph will include a quote from The Pearl and a Jack London short story of your choosing.

*You have to find three themes in The Pearl first, as each paragraph must address The Pearl.

Next, you will find the same/similar theme in any work by London
Elaborate and analyze each quote and compare each author's approach to that theme.
***Helpful hint: When students choose quotes that include figurative language/literary devices: foreshadowing, imagery, conflict, theme, metaphor, simile, personification, alliteration, hyperbole, onomatopoeia, situational irony, dramatic irony, etc… they automatically have something compelling to analyze! These quotes are more likely to be salient--the author is drawing attention to the passage by “dressing it up” with figurative language and giving it another layer of meaning. Uncovering that layer of meaning is analysis!
*The theme expresses the author’s opinion or raises a question about human nature or the meaning of human experience.
Themes for “The Law of Life”: acceptance (of one’s fate), death, survival, duty (to family, community), perseverance
Body paragraph
topic sentence: the first main idea (from thesis)
concrete detail 1: embedded quotes THE PEARL
commentary sentence 1: explain the quote (assume the reader is not familiar with the source)
commentary sentence 2: importance/analysis of the quote
Transition/linking word
concrete detail 2: Jack London Story Quote
commentary sentence 1: explain the quote (assume the reader is not familiar with the source)
commentary sentence 2: importance/analysis of the quote

commentary sentence 3-4: synthesis and analysis of the quotes--make the connection/similarity/difference
transition to the next paragraph: refer to transition/signal words (optional)
*Write freely at this stage – find a peer editor for content and structure
2nd Draft
Conclusion Paragraph
Restate thesis: use different syntax and vocabulary (without losing the meaning--use thesaurus)
Bridge: connection and flow between restatement of thesis
Concluding Statement / Clincher:
-Conclude by considering the implications of your analysis or discussion
-Conclude by redefining one of the key terms of your essay
Bookend/Circular Structure
-Conclude by setting your discussion into a different, perhaps larger, context
-***Re-evaluate the hook through the lens of the paper
*You have begun your essay with either a London or Steinbeck quote from a different source. Do the research about the origin of the quote and try to connect it to your essay. This is a powerful technique known as a “bookend structure” or more commonly as a “circular structure.” In other words, you end where you began. This gives the reader the satisfaction of something that has come “full circle.”