Wednesday, May 10, 2017

Essay Outline, Thesis and Topic Sentences

How does the personal history of an author have a significant influence on the way meaning is constructed in his writing in Things Fall Apart?



  1. The personal history of an author can have a significant influence on his piece, therefore altering his perspective or in-depth analyzation of the situation. Giving every novel it's originality, bringing life to each and every book. Due to every author having a different story to tell differently.
    1. Introduction to main arguments.
    2. Brief background on the context of the book and author.
  2. The emotions of an author can have an affect on his/her writing. In the book Things Fall Apart, Achebe's emotional connection is deeper due to the fact that he wrote this as an atonement to his past and as an African that has been "Europeanized" as an act in the movement.
    1. Quotes from scholar-writers
    2. His personal interviews
    3. The background history of where, when and why this book was written and as a reaction to what? 
  3. Another significant influence that can affect a writer's work is his/her experiences. The book Things Fall Apart would've been completely different if Achebe were to be living in a different country not knowing what it means to be submerged in a large movement and being "Europeanized" in the heart of Africa. The book would've been different due to the fact the author not being able to relate to the situation and writing a bias "story" from the outside and from what they've heard.
    1. Read Achebe's biography.
    2. Read about the background history of Africa.
    3. Connect all with the book and how this has affected Achebe's work and how it would've been different if the circumstances were to be different.
  4. The background context gives more meaning to a book. But when an author has a background to why they would create such a work it gives the book more life and emotion because it becomes clear that the author had an intention while writing this book instead of writing a nice story. This gives more depth to the book and allows the reader to really think about the other hidden meaning the author may have placed within the layers of his work.
  5. Achebe's personal history has affected his work, Things Fall Apart. But if his personal history weren't to interfere with his work the book may not have been as successful, due to this, brings a new perspective and in-depth analyzation to his novel. Through his background, emotions and experiences Achebe has successfully brought life to his novel, Things Fall Apart.
    1. Restate main points.
    2. Quote specific examples.
    3. Have a closing sentence to the essay.

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