Orwell Paragraphs: Four Qualities of a Good Body Paragraph, A Hanging Analysis, and Editing Practice

Four Qualities of a Good Body Paragraph

• The four qualities discussed for a strong body paragraph

  • #1 Control idea / topic sentence (TS): The controlling idea should guide the paragraph. The instructor asks repeatedly for the controlling idea and labels it as the TS when reviewing papers. Abbreviation used on papers: CI or TS.

  • #2 Unity: The paragraph should stay on the single controlling idea without detours. Abbreviations from class: LU = lack of unity.

  • #3 Coherence: The paragraph should flow logically from sentence to sentence. Abbreviations from class: LC = lack of coherence.

  • #4 Adequate and specific support: The paragraph must have enough, specific support for the topic sentence (not just general statements).

• The four qualities are emphasized as the biggest factors in grade for these essays.

• On papers, students often show LU (lack of unity), LC (lack of coherence), and CI (topic sentence missing or unclear). The teacher demonstrates how to identify and fix these issues.

• The role of transitions in achieving coherence: transitions like "besides," "such requirements," "but," and "and" help bridge sentences.

• Students are advised to use quotes and paraphrases as specific support to satisfy the adequate/support requirement.

Key Concepts and Terms

• CAPB: Context in the lecture refers to Orwell and capital punishment, and how Orwell gets his views across in his essay (topic under discussion for the oral essay).

• Transition words and devices: Bridge sentences to improve flow. Examples discussed include: besides, such as, such requirements, but, and.

• The four qualities (as taught in class):

  • Control idea / topic sentence (CI/TS)

  • Unity

  • Coherence

  • Adequate and specific support

• Abbreviations students are likely to see on essays:

  • LU = lack of unity

  • LC = lack of coherence

  • CI = topic sentence (controlling idea)

• The role of feedback on oral essays: students receive codes like LU, LC, C I to indicate issues; the instructor emphasizes using these as learning signals.

The Importance of Transitions and Paragraph Flow

• Transitions help create coherence across sentences and paragraphs.

• Examples of transitional devices mentioned: but, and, besides, such as, and phrases that refer back to previous statements (e.g., "requirement" refers back to the prior sentence).

• The point that comp/college writing often lacks enough transitions, and this is something the instructor plans to address in more detail.

Introduction and Conclusion Paragraphs

• Intro and concluding paragraphs serve slightly different functions from body paragraphs; their mechanics differ, but the four qualities still guide them in examining unity, coherence, and support.

Orwell’s A Hanging: Key Passages and Analysis (Orwell Essay on Capital Punishment)

• Context: The class uses Orwell’s text to illustrate how authorial stance on capital punishment is conveyed.

• The dog as a major element: The dog’s reaction distinguishes humans from the guards and emphasizes moral tension in the scene.

• Description of the setting and prisoners:

  • The setting uses vivid, sometimes dehumanizing imagery (e.g., sodden morning, yellow tinfoil, high walls, cages).

  • The prisoners are described as parts of a system rather than individuals: e.g., "brown silent men" in cages, a Hindu prisoner described as a puny wisp of a man with a shaven head and a thick mustache.

  • The guards are numerous (six) and physically dominate the prisoner (rifles, fixed bayonets, handcuffs, belt and arm bindings).

• How the guards treat the prisoner:

  • They handle him almost like a fish (dehumanizing metaphor).

  • They crowd him with their bodies and hands; the prisoner does not resist.

  • The scene underscores a lack of humanity in the guards and the system they represent.

• The dog motif:

  • The dog licks the prisoner and lingers near him; the guards see this as a violation of the expected social division between humans.

  • The dog follows the group to the gallows and hides in a corner, symbolizing the tension between human sympathy and systemic violence.

• The gallows scene:

  • The prisoner’s cries (e.g., "Ram, ram, ram") are described as a steady, ritual, almost bell-like tolling rather than a plea for help.

  • The hangman uses a cotton bag to cover the prisoner's face; the muffled cries continue, undiminished.

  • The superintendent studies and possibly counts the cries, reflecting the emotional impact on those involved.

  • Observers’ reactions reveal moral strain: faces go gray, bayonets waver, and the guards fear fainting; a collective moral weight is felt.

• Narrative perspective and argument:

  • Orwell’s portrayal of the execution reveals how capital punishment functions as a ritual that dehumanizes both the prisoner and the bystanders.

  • The dog, the crowd, and the guards all illustrate the moral conflict embedded in the act.

• Quotes and textual elements highlighted for analysis:

  • The phrase about the dreadfulness of the act and the dog’s reaction to the prisoner: the dog licks the prisoner and the phrase that the guards are drawn into the scene as observers.

  • The description of the setting and the prisoner with phrases like "sodden" and "yellow tinfoil" to convey mood and setting.

• Suggested essay practice from the teacher:

  • Include at least a couple of strong quotes to illustrate the policy and the argument about capital punishment.

  • Consider other elements in the story beyond the dog (e.g., the guards, the hanging, the doctor, the superintendent) to demonstrate how Orwell builds his case.

Specific Language and Vocabulary Analysis from A Hanging

• Vocabulary focus: words like "sodden" (meaning saturated with water or liquid) and phrases describing the environment (e.g., brown silent men, cages).

• The setting language supports the dehumanization of prisoners and the environment of power.

• The teacher assigns a possible vocabulary pop quiz on Wednesday and points out that students should look up words they don’t know.

Student-Wocused Practice: Paragraph Quality and Editing

• The class exercises a revision activity: an exercise titled "find and correct the mistakes in each sentence".

• Each sentence has at least one mistake; some have more than one.

• The instructor discusses common problems, including misplaced modifiers and the proper placement of modifiers.

• Example of a misplaced modifier:

  • Initial awkward sentence: "having been around the ocean for many years bald head" (the modifier is unrelated to the noun it should modify).

  • Correct approach: move the modifier so it directly describes the noun it modifies (the head or the person described).

• Demonstration of fixing misplaced modifiers:

  • Original problematic form may be vacuous; the fix is to attach the modifier to the correct noun and isolate it with commas where appropriate, e.g.,

  • "I'm sure that Todd, having been around the ocean for many years, can handle the ship in any circumstance." or

  • "I'm sure that Todd, having been around the ocean for many years, can handle the ship in any circumstance." (internal placement varies by sentence structure)

• Point: modifiers can be phrases or clauses acting like adjectives (participial modifiers); they should modify the closest appropriate noun.

• The instructor stresses practical editing steps: search for the noun the modifier should describe, then reposition the modifier accordingly and use commas to isolate nonessential modifier phrases when needed.

Quick Recap: How this material ties to exam prep

• Understand the four qualities of a good body paragraph and be able to identify LU, LC, and CI in student work.

• Practice using transitions to improve coherence and the role of specific support (quotes and paraphrases) in supporting a topic sentence.

• Be able to discuss how Orwell’s A Hanging conveys capital punishment through description, mood, symbolism (e.g., the dog), and the reactions of the guards and superintendent.

• Develop ability to craft an oral essay question response with: a clear controlling idea, logical unity, coherent transitions, and adequate, specific support.

• Apply editing strategies to fix misplaced modifiers and other common sentence-level issues.

Sample Practice Prompts (to prepare for the exam)

• Explain how the dog functions as a symbol in Orwell’s A Hanging and what it reveals about the moral character of the observers.

• Identify the controlling idea in a paragraph about Orwell’s views on capital punishment and show how the body paragraph maintains unity and coherence with specific examples.

• Rewrite a sentence with a misplaced modifier to demonstrate correct placement and use of commas for clarity.

• Provide at least two quotes from A Hanging that illustrate Orwell’s argument about capital punishment and explain how they support your topic sentence.