Let’s Rock That Hamburger Metaphor

The structure of your essay.A delicious hamburger.

The First Bun: The Introduction

Purpose:1) Introduce topic2) Make a

claim/thesis3) Show generally

how paper supports your claim/thesis.

Example:.Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey was published in 1818 near

the height of the Gothic craze. Novel after novel was populated with menacing monsters, spiraling staircases, paternal figures with dangerous sexual intent, and countless other terrifying tropes. Sensing that the reading public was mistaking the horrors of the Gothic novel for genuine threats in a society populated by much more dangerous things, Austen issues Northanger as a critique of the Gothic. At times sarcastic, at other times subversive, Austen’s typically quick-wit conveys to the reader that they should be more focused on the dangers of walking the road than the decapitated head stuffed into the locked chest.

Bread Crumbs: Topic Sentence

Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey was published in 1818 near the height of the Gothic craze. Novel after novel was populated with menacing monsters, spiraling staircases, paternal figures with dangerous sexual intent, and countless other terrifying tropes. Sensing that the reading public was mistaking the horrors of the Gothic novel for genuine threats in a society populated by much more dangerous things, Austen issues Northanger as a critique of the Gothic. At times sarcastic, at other times subversive, Austen’s typically quick-wit conveys to the reader that they should be more focused on the dangers of walking the road than the decapitated head stuffed into the locked chest.

Bread Crumbs: The ThesisJane Austen’s Northanger Abbey was published in 1818 near the height of the Gothic craze. Novel after novel was populated with menacing monsters, spiraling staircases, paternal figures with dangerous sexual intent, and countless other terrifying tropes. Sensing that the reading public was mistaking the horrors of the Gothic novel for genuine threats in a society populated by much more dangerous things, Austen issues Northanger as a critique of the Gothic. At times sarcastic, at other times subversive, Austen’s typically quick-wit conveys to the reader that they should be more focused on the dangers of walking the road than the decapitated head stuffed into the locked chest.

HEY LOOK IT’S BABY TONY STARK

The Meat: The Delicious Body

Purpose:

1) Methodically proves how your thesis is true.

2) Each paragraph logically follows the previous.

3) Doesn’t that hamburger look gross?

Paragraphs

1) One “main thought” per paragraph.2) Each paragraph should set up the

next one.3) Dear lord don’t fear using multiple

paragraphs for each point you make.

An Example: Hedges

“Chris Hedges is the most interesting author because his predictions of gloom are both captivating and accurate.”

You could use more than one paragraph to illustrate both.

The Second Bun: The Conclusion

Purpose:

1) Summarize what you’ve talked about.

2) Restate thesis.3) End with an

original thought/idea.

Example:• In Northanger Abbey, there is a villain afoot. However, that villain

is not someone with supernatural powers, though he may have an unfathomably cold heart. Austen rightfully points out to the reader that they need to be careful about being consumed by a Gothic novel, lest they fail to see the mundane dangers of the real world. Catherine serves as a warning for the average reader. Do not lose yourself to fancy as she does, and if you begin searching for horrors, real social problems may end up coming to haunt you. It may not be as adventurous as Udolpho, but society itself must be consciously and carefully navigated much like a haunted mansion’s labyrinthine hallways and this can only be done if the reader is actively aware of the real.

Example:• In Northanger Abbey, there is a villain afoot. However, that villain

is not someone with supernatural powers, though he may have an unfathomably cold heart. Austen rightfully points out to the reader that they need to be careful about being consumed by a Gothic novel, lest they fail to see the mundane dangers of the real world. Catherine serves as a warning for the average reader. Do not lose yourself to fancy as she does, and if you begin searching for horrors, real social problems may end up coming to haunt you. It may not be as adventurous as Udolpho, but society itself must be consciously and carefully navigated much like a haunted mansion’s labyrinthine hallways and this can only be done if the reader is actively aware of the real.

That’s your hamburger, bro!