Skip to main content

How can I approach writing an essay about how Gloria Naylor proves in Linden Hills that success comes at the expense of humanistic values?

You have put your finger on precisely what the two main characters (Willie and Willa) learn throughout the course of the book. I would begin your introduction with that idea and filter down to a thesis: Success can be had only at the expense of moral or humanistic values as evidenced by the minor characters of Linden Hills: Mr. Tilson, Winston Alcott, Reverend Hollis, and Evelyn Creton Nedeed.


Your body paragraphs would speak of each...

You have put your finger on precisely what the two main characters (Willie and Willa) learn throughout the course of the book. I would begin your introduction with that idea and filter down to a thesis: Success can be had only at the expense of moral or humanistic values as evidenced by the minor characters of Linden Hills: Mr. Tilson, Winston Alcott, Reverend Hollis, and Evelyn Creton Nedeed.


Your body paragraphs would speak of each of these minor characters from Linden Hills respectively and always begin with a topic sentence. For example, the paragraph about Mr. Tilson should show proof that his need for money drove him to work numerous jobs and caused a fatal heart attack. Life is the thing that ceases to be valued in Mr. Tilson’s case. The paragraph about Winston Alcott should explain that he has married a lady he does not love simply to achieve respectability. Love is the thing that ceases to be valued in Mr. Alcott’s case. The paragraph about the minister, Reverend Hollis, should give examples of how he is a liar and a substance abuser. Truth is the thing that ceases to be valued in Mr. Hollis’ case. Finally, the resident of Linden Hills named Evelyn Creton Nedeed has a rich yet cold husband.  In order to cope, Evelyn uses chemicals to make herself look thin and to entice her husband. Eventually she uses chemicals to kill herself. Moderation is the thing that ceases to be valued in Evelyn’s case.


For your conclusion, reword your thesis and then present a new idea. Perhaps you could make a case that the main characters (Willie and Willa) are able to think clearly because they are not members of Linden Hills. They are outsiders who are able to determine right from wrong.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What is the meaning of "juggling fiends" in Macbeth?

Macbeth is beginning to realize that the three witches have been deceiving him since he first encountered them. Like jugglers, they have kept changing their forecasts in order create confusion. This is particularly apparent when the Second Apparition they raise in Act IV,   Scene 1 tells him that no man of woman born can overcome him in hand-to-hand battle--and then Macbeth finds himself confronted by the one man he has been avoiding out of a... Macbeth is beginning to realize that the three witches have been deceiving him since he first encountered them. Like jugglers, they have kept changing their forecasts in order create confusion. This is particularly apparent when the Second Apparition they raise in Act IV,   Scene 1 tells him that no man of woman born can overcome him in hand-to-hand battle--and then Macbeth finds himself confronted by the one man he has been avoiding out of a sense of guilt, and that man tells him: Despair thy charm. And let the angel whom thou still hast serve...
Post a Comment
Read more

What are some external and internal conflicts that Montag has in Fahrenheit 451?

 Montag, the protagonist of Fahrenheit 451, faces both external and internal conflicts throughout the novel. Some examples of these conflicts are: External Conflicts: Conflict with the society: Montag lives in a society that prohibits books and critical thinking. He faces opposition from the government and the people who enforce this law. Montag struggles to come to terms with the fact that his society is based on censorship and control. Conflict with his wife: Montag's wife, Mildred, is completely absorbed in the shallow and meaningless entertainment provided by the government. Montag's growing dissatisfaction with his marriage adds to his external conflict. Conflict with the fire captain: Montag's superior, Captain Beatty, is the personification of the oppressive regime that Montag is fighting against. Montag's struggle against Beatty represents his external conflict with the government. Internal Conflicts: Conflict with his own beliefs: Montag, at the beginning of th...
Post a Comment
Read more

In A People's History of the United States, why does Howard Zinn feel that Wilson made a flimsy argument for entering World War I?

"War is the health of the state," the radical writer Randolph Bourne said, in the midst of the First World War. Indeed, as the nations of Europe went to war in 1914, the governments flourished, patriotism bloomed, class struggle was stilled, and young men died in frightful numbers on the battlefields-often for a hundred yards of land, a line of trenches. -- Chapter 14, Page 350, A People's History of the United States Howard Zinn outlines his arguments for why World War I was fought in the opening paragraph of Chapter 14 (referenced above). The nationalism that was created by the Great War benefited the elite political and financial leadership of the various countries involved. Socialism, which was gaining momentum in Europe, as was class struggle, took a backseat to mobilizing for war. Zinn believes that World War I was fought for the gain of the industrial capitalists of Europe in a competition for capital and resources. He states that humanity itself was punished by t...
Post a Comment
Read more