Having read Blumot and Sakoni's work, our student writers, Ada, Ziggy and Joey, were ready for their next challenge. We asked them to draft an introduction to the essay topic, "Drawing on your sources, discuss what happens to the identity of individuals as they move across borders.". Introductions typically offer an overview of the topic to be discussed, and can contain some definitions of key terms. But most importantly, they present the views of the writer and his or her position on the topic. So, on this course, we would like to know what is your position or stance on what happens to identity as people move across borders. This stance is also known as the thesis statement, and is normally phrased along these lines. I will argue that or this essay will demonstrate or discuss that. Note that the thesis statement is not merely your opinion, but a statement that will have to be supported throughout your essay with evidence and examples that are logical and believable. Here's an example of an introduction. In the 20th Century alone, a 100 million people died as a result of tobacco smoking. Tobacco is a dangerous and addictive drug. In this essay, I will argue that tobacco smoking should be banned because of the health hazards linked to this addictive drug. I will first present the harmful effects of tobacco smoking, and then address the arguments put forward by those who are against tobacco banning. Most introductions contain a hook, a statement or a quote that captures the reader's attention. The hook in the essay here is, "In the 20th century alone, a 100 million people died as a result of tobacco smoking." This hook offers a broad context into the issue and has a shock value that makes the readers want to read on. Tobacco is then defined as a dangerous and addictive drug. The argument reads, "I will argue that tobacco smoking should be banned because of the health hazards linked to this addictive drug." This argument will need to be defended throughout the essay. The last line could be seen as a roadmap. "I will first present the harmful effects of tobacco smoking, and then address the arguments put forward by those who are against tobacco banning.". This roadmap guides the reader about what will follow in the essay. Now, let's see how Ada, Zigi and Joey draft their introductions. We mention to them that their introduction needs to offer a definition of identity and that they need to present their views about the essay topic. This is what they offered us. And as you read the introductions, think about how they structured it and how they presented their ideas. Here is Ada's introduction. Our identities are the means by which we locate ourselves in the world. Our identities give us a sense of who and what we are. It gives us a sense of how to live, how to interact with others who are like us and who share in our way of life. But as Woodward argues, identity is not just about what we have in common with those we share in our identity, it's also about what makes us different to others who do not look, sound, dress, act and view the world the way we do. I feel very close to this issue of identity as it is an extremely sensitive and personal issue for me. Now let's read Ziggy's introduction. Black African identity has been under siege for centuries on the African continent. Black bodies have for centuries been forcibly removed to work as slaves and as cheap sources of and colonial labor, here at home and elsewhere in the world. Black names, their lineage, ancestry, culture and language, in other words, all those things that gave them a distinctive African identity, ceased to exist or have any value in the country they were transported to. One does not always need to cross international borders to experience a loss or violation of one's identity, as the story of my ancestors illustrates. Identity is therefore at our core. It is what holds us together as distinctive social groupings. And it's what gives us as individuals a sense of purpose in our lives. Woodward 1997. Let's read Joey's introduction now. To be or not to be, that is the question. This famous quote from Shakespeare's Hamlet is something that touches all of us at our core. It's a question about being true to oneself, to whom one truly is when all else is stripped away. The quote encompasses all at once. The fundamental issue of identity, something we all possess, whether we want it or not. I have a problem with people who pretend to be something that they're not. Hello. Open your eyes and smell the roses. A blind man could see that you're a fake. Just because you enter a different space or as the essay question of states cross over a particular border, it doesn't mean that you have to now be someone else that you're not. People will always judge you, whether you want to do the politically correct thing or not. So, how did you find each introduction? What were your thoughts about their opening lines? Can their introductions tell us about the writers themselves? Do you think their position on the debate was expressed clearly?
