BODY:
Section two of the essay, the body, consists of three "well-rounded" (well-developed) paragraphs, each beginning with its own topic sentence that, ideally, reveals the organization not only of the essay, but also of the paragraph it introduces. Development of the body paragraphs should be organized, thorough, and unified.
- A Topic Sentence: This sentence states the main idea of the paragraph. Everything else in the paragraph should relate to the main idea as stated in the topic sentence.
- Support & evidence: Depending on the type of paper, support and evidence can take many forms: references to a text or historical document; facts; quotes from artists, witnesses or experts; data, or any other relevant information that supports the main idea.
- Explanation & argument: This is the heart of the analysis or argument; clearly and thoroughly demonstrate how your support and evidence supports the main idea. Evidence is not enough. Think of yourself as a lawyer in court. You must make the jury (reader) understand how the evidence proves your point.
The first body paragraph of the "LOP Leap of Faith" essay might begin with a topic sentence such as,
Within the first few pages of his novel, Martel creates a world thatrequires imagination on the part of the reader who makes the journey with Pi and Martel.
This topic sentence reveals its connection (unity) with the essay's thesis and it reveals the body section's organization (climactic order). The topic sentences of the next two body paragraphs would reveal similar aspects of unity and order; ideally, they could also reveal the order of the paragraphs that they introduce. For example, the topic sentence of the third body paragraph might read,
In a final attempt to encourage his readers to take the plunge and surrender to his work, Martel forces his readers to questions the notions of truth and reality one last time by asking them to choose the better story.
Such a body paragraph would be developed and organized according to examples that follow a chronological pattern. In addition to being well-organized, each of the body paragraphs must contain facts, details, and examples that adequately develop the subject introduced in the topic sentence. Of course, unity is a must in the body paragraphs: no information should be introduced in the paragraph unless it directly supports the paragraph's topic sentence. After the third body paragraph, the writer is ready to conclude the essay with an "inverted-funnel" paragraph.