Speak Essay

Body Paragraph Structure and Examples

USE the SHAPING SHEET

• Begin with a Topic Sentence (as usual)• The claim MUST be about a subtopic you

listed in your THESIS statement!EXAMPLE THESIS: People like Melinda

who suffer from depression often become lonely, have low self-esteem and may even consider suicide.

• List what the THREE body paragraphs will be about.

from THESIS to TOPIC SENTENCE

1. LONELINESS as a result of depressionUnfortunately, people who are depressed usually feel lonely. 2. LOW SELF-ESTEEM as a result of depressionMany teens suffering from depression have low self-esteem and often feel a sense of worthlessness.3. SUICIDE as a result of depressionDepression can cause teenagers to feel so miserable that they may consider death a practical solution.

The Structure1. T.S. (make a claim related to a subtopic in your

thesis)2. Elaborate on topic sentence3. Introduce a quote ****from Speak****4. Use a quote ****from Speak****5. Comment on quote from Speak6. Elaborate on quote from Speak7. Transition and Introduce a quote

****from other source****8. Use quote ****from other source****9. Comment on quote from other source10.Elaborate on quote from other source11.Conclude the point you proved in this paragraph

Developing the Paragraph

• After a T.S., you write an analytical paragraph the same way you did for short stories and The House on Mango Street.

• Sentences 3-4: Introduce and use a QUOTE from Speak that proves your CLAIM.

At one point, Melinda is so disconsolate that she inflicts harm on herself to distract herself from the pain. “I draw little window cracks of blood, etching line after line until it stops hurting” (Anderson 87).

Developing the Paragraph• SENTENCES 7-8: INTRODUCE and use a

QUOTE FROM ANOTHER SOURCE TO PROVE YOUR POINT

Melinda is not alone in this desperation. According to teendepression.org, “Untreated depression is the number one cause of suicide, the third leading cause of death among teenagers.”

Citing Your Quotes• For Speak, put the PAGE NUMBER in parentheses after the

quote, but add Anderson before the number.• Period GOES OUTSIDE THE PARENTHESES!!

“I can’t stop biting my lips” (Anderson 54).• For other sources, write …

According to __________, “Then put your quote here” (46).

• For other sources, you can also add the author’s last name and page number after the quote.

“School bullying has reached epidemic proportions” (Tyre 41).

• When there is no page number, write (Last Name n.p.).

According to the online Organization on Teen Depression, “Adolescence is an unsettling time, with the many physical, emotional, psychological and social changes that accompany this stage in life.”

“Adolescence is an unsettling time, with the many physical, emotional, psychological and social changes that accompany this stage in life” (teendepression.org).

According to family therapist Dr. Michael Tobin, “A healthy teen should push for more freedom and a parent should recognize when his or her teen can handle the responsibility that freedom demands.”

“A healthy teen should push for more freedom and a parent should recognize when his or her teen can handle the responsibility that freedom demands” (Tobin n.p.).

Melinda states, “They don’t want to hear anything I have to say. They ground me until the Second Coming” (Anderson 87).

Anderson’s character Melinda states, They don’t want to hear anything I have to say. They ground me until the Second Coming” (87).

According to the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, “Families become blocked in their relationships by hurt, anger, mistrust and confusion.”

“Families become blocked in their relationships by hurt, anger, mistrust and confusion” (Palo Alto Medical Foundation n.p.).

Citations• If you do not cite your sources,

you will get a ZERO on the assignment because it’s ILLEGAL.

• You could actually go to JAIL for plagiarizing (copying) information without giving whoever wrote it credit!

Depression can cause teenagers to feel so miserable that they may consider death a practical solution. Some adolescents in despair believe that the only way to feel better is to cease existence. At one point, Melinda is so disconsolate that she inflicts harm on herself to distract herself from emotional pain. “I draw little window cracks of blood, etching line after line until it stops hurting” (Anderson 87). Melinda’s depression only became worse throughout the novel because she had nobody to confide in about her problems and feelings. She felt like death was a rational way to escape her mental anguish. Melinda is not alone in this desperation. According to teendepression.org, “Untreated depression is the number one cause of suicide, the third leading cause of death among teenagers.” Teenagers around the world experience hopelessness when their families neglect them and when they are ostracized at school. It is the sad truth that these young people believe physical pain and even suicide is better than life itself. Although Melinda lives through her misery, many teenagers do not make it out of depression alive.

One cause of teenage depression is the environment in which young people live. Teenagers need to feel that they are loved and secure in their home environments or they may begin to have a sense of worthlessness. Melinda is constantly bullied and ignored at school, and at home she rarely interacts with her family. She says, “I write when I need school supplies or a ride to the mall. They write what time they’ll be home from work and if I should thaw anything. What else is there to say? (Anderson 14). Her parents never indicate that they care about what Melinda does, wants or needs. They never even ask her how she is feeling. This leaves her, as it would many young people, feeling alone, which in turn causes depression. According to teendepression.org, “An unhealthy family life full of negative feedback attacks teens’ outlooks on life and the way they feel about themselves.” Melinda’s parents make her feel like she is a waste of time, which is completely unhealthy. Melinda even wishes they could all acknowledge that they failed family living and get on with their lives. This negative environment contributes to her relentless state of depression, which will not cease until her parents demonstrate concern for her well-being.