FIRST Intro Graf to Cause Essay
What would cause an ordinary, middle-aged, country-born, Maine-raised woman to leave the comfort of home, use up her only short bit of vacation time she was allotted for the year, and head to the hot, dry, remote, drought-stricken land of Kenya? Is this woman a thrill-seeker, looking for unusual adventures? Could she be an environmentalist, searching for answers to climate change? Or perhaps she’s suffering from midlife crisis and thinks something so out of the ordinary will help her find what she’s searching for. Though these could possibly explain one person’s trek into the desert wilderness, they do not explain Rachel’s journey. Instead of seeking thrills, she is being obedient. Instead of searching for answers, she is providing them. Instead of suffering from midlife crisis, she is using her experience and talents to help others. But how did she get there? Rachel’s unusual adventure was the result of a group experience, a personal encounter, and a financial gift. These three set the stage for what was soon to come.
This works--and we're going to get reasons for her time in Kenya, not steps in the process of her getting there, right? It's a subtle but real difference in the writing.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I’m wrong, but it seems that the slant for a cause essay is determined by the writer’s perspective. For this particular essay, I could take the slant as to what caused her to decide to make the final trek to Africa, or I could take the slant as to what events caused her to be able to go (and in that case, her decision to go, could be one of the causes.) In other words, if I’m giving 3 reasons why something happened, is the thing that happened the change in Rachel to make her decide to go, or is it the journey itself? If it’s the latter, the steps in the process could constitute the cause, especially if they were not events she herself orchestrated.
ReplyDeleteHa, Rita, want to complicate things with thinking and analysis, eh?
ReplyDelete:)
I think I see what you're saying and don't disagree. On the one hand, I'd like to avoid dealing with a process essay, but on the other, it would be bad professional practice on my part to inhibit a writer of your ability, especially before the fact.
So, you go right ahead with intro 2, outro, and then the eventual essay, just as you like, and then we'll see what's what.