SAMPLE Quote Project Informational Essay Outline

William Sydney Porter -- Author

Paragraph 1 – Introduction
  • Engaging lead (interesting fact, question, shocking statement, action)
  • Introduce quotation and figure
  • Thesis statement -- 3 key reasons why your figure said the quote
/ What comes to mind when you hear the word prisoner? Probably not one of the most famous American authors of all time. It’s true. William Sydney Porter, the famous author, got some of his best ideas for his works of literature while he was in prison. In fact, he once said, “Life is made up of sobs, sniffles, and smiles, with sniffles predominating.” Losing the love of his life, spending five years in prison, and his struggles with alcohol likely prompted Porter to say that.
Paragraph 2 – First body paragraph
  • Topic sentence – introduce the first reason why your figure said the quote
  • Examples and details from your research to support the topic sentence
  • Explain why that reason would have motivated the figure to say the quote (you’ll need to make an inference)
/ A mix of smiles and sorrow set the tone in Porter’s early life. He was born in 1862 in North Carolina. Porter developed a love for writing at a young age. He was imaginative, social, and loved learning about people’s lives. Porter also fell in love with Athol Estes and married her in 1887. She was actually ill with tuberculosis, a lung disease, even before they got married. They had a son, who died hours after birth, and a daughter. Over the next ten year, Athol’s health worsened, and she died in 1897. Between the death of his newborn son and the death of his young wife, Porter suffered sorrow and probably his fair share of “sobs” and “sniffles.” He was left to raise his daughter without the love of his life.
Paragraph 3 – Second body paragraph
  • Topic sentence – introduce the second reason why your figure said the quote
  • Examples and details from your research to support the topic sentence
  • Explain why that reason would have motivated the figure to say the quote (you’ll need to make an inference)
/ Porter hit another rough patch in his life when he was imprisoned. Although Porter was a licensed pharmacist, he also spent some time working as a bookkeeper for a bank in Texas. Porter was a careless bookkeeper. Shortages of money in the bank were discovered, and Porter was accused of stealing, or embezzling, money. Even though Porter claimed he was innocent, he was fired from the bank and arrested. Before his court trial, Porter panicked and fled the country. Upon return to the United States to be with his dying wife, Porter was found guilty of embezzlement and sentenced to five years in an Ohio prison. While in prison, he reconnected with his love of writing and gave himself the pen name, O. Henry. While Porter got the ideas for many of his most famous works of literature in prison, it was also a difficult time for him. Because he was imprisoned just after the death of his wife and because he was separated from his children, Porter likely shed many tears mourning the losses of family and freedom.
Paragraph 4 – Third body paragraph
  • Topic sentence – introduce the third reason why your figure said the quote (EX – Martin Luther King placed great importance on education throughout his life.
  • Examples and details from your research to support the topic sentence
  • Explain why that reason would have motivated the figure to say the quote (you’ll need to make an inference)
/ Struggles with alcoholism also played a role in his suffering. Later in his life, in 1902, Porter moved to New York City where he wrote the bulk of his works, mostly short stories. Porter married again; however, about a year into the marriage, his wife left him. He began drinking heavily, which left him with an enlarged heart, diabetes, and kidney failure. In 1910, at age 48, Porter passed away. He was almost penniless at the time of his passing, due mostly to his extreme alcoholism. Porter’s last years were dark and difficult. This probably contributed to Porter’s “sniffles” and “sobs.”
Paragraph 5 – Conclusion
  • Restate the thesis statement (including the quote)
  • Final thoughts (connect to your own life or the world today, explain the impact of the quote, or come to a conclusion about the figure’s life)
/ Revered as one of the most talented, well-known American short story authors, Porter led a tragic life. His statement, “Life is made up of sobs, sniffles, and smiles, with sniffles predominating,” reflects the losses of his son and wife, his time in prison, and his struggles with alcoholism. Porter clearly shed far more tears of sadness than tears of happiness in his lifetime; however, his talent lives on in his many works of literature.