Essay Four Outline Chart
Important: You are required to structure your essay using the outline below. The final draft of your essay should be developed from this outline using full paragraphs like any traditional essay.
Support your essay with quotations and examples from two or more of the following from Parallel Myths:
• “Persian Apocalyptic Myth” (239)
• “Islamic Apocalyptic Myth” (241)
• “Maitreya” (245)
• “Ragnarok” (246)
• “Old Testament” (249)
• “New Testament” (250)
Read Parallel Myths on Interpreting Apocalypse myths:
• “Modern Questions of Faith” (304 – 314) from Chapter 14
Select one of the following films: These films are all about families struggling in a post-apocalyptic world. (You can acquire the films yourself or watch The Road, A Quiet Place, or Signs through Library Reserve with GCC student id; students must watch the film at the Library and are not allowed to take the DVD home. Bring your own earbuds to Library.)
• Signs (2002) directed by M. Night Shyamalan (available on Amazon Prime Video)
Essay Title
Use MLA format:
General Topic: Specific Thesis Ideas
Introduction
Your Hook that gets the reader interested in reading your essay. Please avoid using quotations.
What are some common aspects of Christian, Muslim, and Jewish and other religious apocalypse myths (from Parallel Myths)?
Possible topics can include the following: reasons why the apocalypse comes, the manner of suffering humans endure during the apocalypse, the role of God and faith in determining humanity’s outcome after the apocalypse, etc..
• • •
Briefly summarize the story of the film you plan to write your essay on.
Transition Sentences:
Discuss two similar specific ways evil is represented in both ancient religious Doomsday myths and the post-apocalyptic world of your chosen film.
Examples: Evil can be represented as a person, monstrous figure, inexplicable or pointless death, the loss of a loved one, specific forms of suffering, specific forms of violence, and more.
• •
One sentence Thesis: Answer the following question using one complete sentence:
What are two ways in which your film affirms and / or challenges the idea in ancient religious apocalypse myths that faith in God can help one overcome those two forms of evil (you previously mentioned in your transition sentence)?
Body Paragraph One:
Topic Sentence: Restate first thesis idea. Avoid cutting and pasting the same phrases.
What is the first way in which your film affirms and / or challenges the idea in ancient religious apocalypse myths that faith in God can help one overcome those two forms of evil (you previously mentioned in your introduction transition sentence)?
Provide one Parallel Myth quotation about your chosen ancient apocalypse myth in MLA format. Reduce to 3 lines if longer using ellipses.
Less than 4 lines:
Plato writes, “XX.”
Explain what the quotation is saying in detail in your own words. Aim for 4-5 or more sentences.
Provide a summary of one or two film scenes that support your topic sentence claim.
Film Analysis Argument: Avoid merely repeating what you already said earlier. Explain how we should interpret the meaning of the film scene(s).
• How do your previous film and myth examples relate to one another?
• In what ways do your examples create a powerful argument for your thesis?
• You can talk about the underlying values or meaning of the scene and myth
• You can provide clarifying examples for complex ideas.
• You can explore relevant connection to major themes in the film as a whole.
•
•
•
Add a concluding sentence reminding the reader of how your examples support your topic sentence claim. Should look similar to topic sentence but be more detailed.
Body Paragraph Two
Topic Sentence: Restate second thesis idea. Avoid cutting and pasting the same phrases.
What is the second way in which your film affirms and / or challenges the idea in ancient religious apocalypse myths that faith in God can help one overcome those two forms of evil (you previously mentioned in your introduction transition sentence)?
Provide one Parallel Myth quotation about your chosen ancient apocalypse myth in MLA format. Reduce to 3 lines if longer using ellipses.
Less than 4 lines:
Plato writes, “XX.”
Explain what the quotation is saying in detail in your own words. Aim for 4-5 or more sentences.
Provide a summary of one or two film scenes that support your topic sentence claim.
Film Analysis Argument: Avoid merely repeating what you already said earlier. Explain how we should interpret the meaning of the film scene.
• How do your previous film and myth examples relate to one another?
• In what ways do your examples create a powerful argument for your thesis?
• You can talk about the underlying values or meaning of the scene and myth
• You can provide clarifying examples for complex ideas.
• You can explore relevant connection to major themes in the film as a whole.
•
•
•
Add a concluding sentence reminding the reader of how your examples support your topic sentence claim. Should look similar to topic sentence but be more detailed.
Conclusion
Restate your thesis using new wording (no cutting and pasting from thesis itself)
End with some interesting reflections on the topic that go beyond merely repeating what you said earlier.