The next paragraph begins the body of the essay and gives definitions for the two terms which will provide the focus of the discussion. Two sources are used to define the terms. Material is quoted from both sources and each quotation is enclosed in quotation marks and followed by parenthetical documentation which gives the names of the authors or editors as well as the page numbers for the quoted material. The information given in the parenthesis provides a link to the full bibliographic information for each source given in the works cited.

Notice the handling of the quotations. Only parts of the definitions from the sources are quoted directly. When words are omitted the quoted material, this is indicated by an ellipsis. The quotations are also worked into the writer's own sentences so that in each case the quoted material and the writer's words make a single coherent and grammatically correct sentence. Other important information is paraphrased.

The Organizing Sentence

The topic sentence of the third paragraph is critical because it organizes the discussion which follows. It says that the essay will deal with both aspects of meaning identified by A Handbook to Literature.

The second sentence in the paragraph is also important because it marks the beginning of the discussion of sentimentalism as "an optimistic overemphasis of the goodness of humanity."

Evidence for the use of sentimentalism in this sense of the term

After telling us that in the story Harte indulges in sentimentalism by overemphasizing the goodness of people, the writer then refers to the story to find evidence that this is true. But before giving evidence about how Harte emphasizes the goodness of people, he accounts for the evil acts of certain characters by saying that they are presented as foils to emphasize the goodness of the others through the contrast that they provide.

Evidence from the story is provided by summarizing important facts about the behavior of the citizens of Poker Flat and about Uncle Billy, the only real evil doer among the outcasts.

In the next two paragraphs, the writer provides evidence from the story to show that first Oakhurst and then Mother Shipton are both good at heart in spite of what might be expected of them. Again, what is important is that specific incidents are taken from the story to illustrate the goodness of these characters.

Also notice that the evidence is presented in the context of an explanation of its significance. It would not be enough, for example, to simply quote the words spoken by Oakhurst as he returns Tommy Simpson's money. The writer emphasizes that this conduct "might not be expected" from him. Again when Oakhurst gives Tommy the snow shoes, he is demonstrating self sacrifice.

Transition

Paragraph number six is important because it makes a transition from a discussion of the first sense in which sentimentalism is evident in the story ("an optimistic overemphasis of the goodness of humanity") to the second sense which is author's overindulgence in emotion.

Evidence for the use of sentimentalism in the second sense of the term

What follows in paragraphs seven, eight, nine, and ten is evidence from the story to illustrate Harte's development of this idea. This part of the discussion is organized around the characters of Mother Shipton, Piney and the Duchess, and finally Oakhurst.

Again the two things to notice in these paragraphs are that the writer takes specific evidence from the story to support the idea that Hart is trying to make us feel pity for the characters, and that the writer of the essay is presenting his evidence in a way that makes its significance clear.

The works cited includes the complete bibliographic information for each of the sources cited in the essay. This includes the story and the two sources used to define the terms. The models follow Modern Language Association guidelines. The works cited for Bret Hart's story follows the model for a work from an anthology. The book, Literature for Composition, is also an anthology and so the information about it follows the same model. Finally, bibliographic information on A Handbook to Literature follows the model for a book by two authors. Your Little Brown Handbook gives many different models and explains their use.