Introduction to Topic Paper

Writing an Introduction

Essays about literature are almost always argumentative. While they can be purely informational, or expressive, any interpretation of a work is, in essence, some sort of argument. The argumentative nature of an essay emerges from the relationship between the work of literature and the reader. Good literature is complex, and it usually involves multiple layers of meaning. A complete understanding of those layers of meaning requires more information than just the words on the page. It is up to the critical reader to provide some of that information through their own perception of the work. No single reader’s view can be all-encompassing, but through a reader’s use of observation, reasoning, interpretation, and creativity, a sound argument about a work can be made.
 

You have been given a specific topic, in regards to a work of fiction, to cover. This means that you will need to look at one aspect of the fiction, such as its themes or characters, and make some sort of statement about its meaning. This may seem like a difficult assignment. However this unit is designed to break this large task down into smaller bits that will get you to your ultimate goal. The first step is for you to introduce your topic. This introduction, however, includes more than just a statement about what your topic is. Instead, you are being asked to dig deep, and really examine what your topic means to the reader, and what its importance is in understanding literature.

Another important piece to keep in mind is that the initial introduction that you turn in will not be the final product. You will have opportunities to revise it and to adjust it as you continue writing this paper. However, it is important that you put thought and focus into writing this first draft, as it will count for a grade.

The following outline will provide you with one example of how you might want to approach this introduction:

I.         Introduce your paper

a. State the goal of the paper

b. Explain how you will achieve that goal

II.       Define your topic

a. What does xxxxxxx mean

b. How does xxxxxxx relate to the overall meaning of a work

III.      Show how your topic can be a part a work’s meaning

a. Use a real example from a work of literature

IV.   State how your topic is important to the work you are analyzing

a. How is it used in this book

b. What does it mean