Read this essay, picking out the main ideas, and write a summary regarding the essay. This summary will pose as your introduction and will be the beginning of your essay. I realize this is unconventional and your essays in English 101 will be set up differently, but here in English 100 we are interested in your getting good at certain skills. Summary is one of those skills, so the summary will go first, followed by this assignment:

ADDRESS THE QUESTIONS POSED AND YOUR ANSWERS WILL BE THE TOPIC SENTENCES OR THE FIRST SENTENCES ON TWO BODY PARAGRAPHS YOU WILL WRITE. THE TEMPLATE IS AS FOLLOW:

MLA Formatted front page
Paragraph 1 is a summary of the essay
Paragraph 2 first sentence answers the first prompt (plus three quotes with interpretation) Argument # 1
Paragraph 3 first sentence answers the second prompt (plus three quotes with interpretation) Argument # 2
Paragraph 4 answers the CONCLUSION prompt
Argument Topic 1:

Explain why Moreno has the dream. In your opinion, what causes her to have the dream? Pick three key details leading up to the dream that help us understand why she has the dream. (Select your quotations from paragraphs 1 through 9.)

Template for Argument 1:

I believe that Moreno had this dream because ______________________________________________________.

[You may choose to write a couple of sentences here or begin with the initial quote you chose]

To begin, Moreno notes, “……………Quote # 1…………………………………….” (x) This quotation shows that….

[Add your interpretation or inference about the quote (at least 3 sentences)]

Next, Moreno states, “…………………Quote # 2…………….….…………………..” (x) This quotation shows that….

[Add your interpretation or inference about the quote (at least 3 lines)]

Then, Moreno remarks, “………………Quote # 3……..……….…………………..” (x) This quotation shows that….

[Add your interpretation or inference about the quote (at least 3 lines)]

BE SURE TO MAKE THE CLAIM IN THE FIRST SENTENCE (TOPIC SENTENCE). USE THREE STRONG QUOTES WITHIN THE PARAGRAPH. SUPPORT THOSE QUOTES WITH THOUGHTFUL INTERPRETATION TO ENHANCE MEANING AND LOGIC.

HERE is an example of a strong CLAIM and strong QUOTES, but a poor attempt at interpretation:

I believe that Moreno had this dream because she needed to process the shocking events that occurred during her first encounter with a gunshot victim. To begin, Moreno notes, “I saw brain” (17). This is really a lot of stuff for her to handle for the first time. Anybody in such a situation would have a similar reaction. A lot of people go through hard times in their life but it isn’t the end of the world. Next, Moreno states, “Somebody loved him” (17). Shortly after this, Moreno goes to the emergency room where she watches the gunshot victim die in the chaos of the medical environment. She talks briefly to her partner about the gangbanger, and then she falls asleep and has a sad dream. Then, Moreno remarks, “My partner didn’t think he was worth saving” (18). This quotation means that the other ambulance driver believes the gunshot victim is worthless and not deserving of help. The paramedic just sees gangbangers as totally worthless people who shouldn’t get to live like anybody else.

NOTICE THE AUTHOR

–Just repeating what is in the quotation.

–Summarizing some other part of the story.

-Using too many vague words.

HERE’S ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF VAGUE VOCABULARY

Then, Moreno remarks, “He died amid the tools, machinery, and impersonal language of the ER.”(18) This quotation shows that on her first day of Gsw, she dealt with a dying man. When he died, he had an impact on her day and mood that changed why her dream was about him. She had never came across a case like this and when the result came out not what she expected, psychologically she changed. Death has huge control on someone’s feelings.

I will highlight the vague language- How would you make it better?

Then, Moreno remarks, “He died amid the tools, machinery, and impersonal language of the ER.”(18) This quotation shows that on her first day of Gsw, she dealt with a dying man. When he died, he had an impact on her day and mood that changed why her dream was about him. She had never come across a case like this and when the result came out not what she expected, psychologically she changed. Death has huge control on someone’s feelings.

Argument Topic 2:

Explain what the dream means. Pick three key details from the dream and explain what each detail means.

Template for Argument 2:

Furthermore, I believe the meaning of the dream is __________________
___________________________________________________________.

[You may choose to write a couple of sentences here or begin with the initial quote you chose]

To begin, Moreno notes, “……………Quote # 1…………………………………….” (x) This quotation shows that….

[Add your interpretation or inference about the quote (at least 3 sentences)]

Next, Moreno states, “…………………Quote # 2…………….….…………………..” (x) This quotation shows that….

[Add your interpretation or inference about the quote (at least 3 lines)]

Then, Moreno remarks, “………………Quote # 3……..……….…………………..” (x) This quotation shows that….

[Add your interpretation or inference about the quote (at least 3 lines)]

HERE’S AN EXAMPLE OF A GOOD CLAIM WITH STRONG QUOTES, BUT WEAK INTERPRETATION.

Furthermore, I believe the meaning of the dream is that Moreno attempts to save the humanity of her patient because she had failed to save him in real life. First, Moreno says, “In my dream, there was a clean white room: white walls, tile floor. John Doe was (…) cleaned up: no sign of blood or brain or even the wound for that matter, and his skin and tattoos were gleaming” (18). This quotation shows that Moreno’s dream is full of clean and white surfaces, like the walls and the floor. Even the gunshot victim got a makeover, and you can’t see any of his injuries or blood and guts. His tattoos were glowing. Also, Moreno observes, “Curled up in a ball, my head lowered, my breathing labored, I inched his torso into a sitting position by leaning my body weight into his back and pushing the ground away” (18). Moreno is a new ambulance driver, so when she arrived at the crime scene, she wasn’t fully prepared for a gunshot victim in a pool of blood. The poor guy was only about 25 years old, and the cops didn’t show him any respect. Last, Moreno adds, “through the open channel of his throat came a kind of smoke or light. Every time I nudged him, his body relaxed a little more, and that strange substance slid out” (18). This quotation shows that Moreno has a lot of ideas going on in her dream. It was something she wasn’t comfortable with, so she kept dreaming about it. When the dream was finally over, Moreno was able to move on to better things.

Prompt for conclusion:

Do you believe that Moreno picked a good (or right) career for herself?

Example:

In conclusion, I believe Moreno chose the right/wrong career for herself because…

3 – 5 sentences

You must answer the prompts. Once you answer the prompts, you will have your claims or topic sentences. You may create your own topic sentences or, if you must, use the ones given to you in the examples. JUST the topic sentences.