Here's an Example

Application of example may be one of my favorite writing techniques. The way that example is able to relate outside material to the topic at hand is essential to weary eyes who can't read about the same topic for pages on end. Example is prominently used in the essays "On Compassion" by Barbara Ascher and "The Human Cost of a Literary Society" by Jonathan Kozol. While the two essays use different methods of example to develop their respective theses, the prominence of example is a common link in the two, which shapes them both into essays that are easier to relate to, understand, and enjoy.

Ascher's "On Compassion" devotes the majority of its space to the examples it creates in the beginning. A thesis isn't even revealed until the last couple of paragraphs, and the rest of the essay is just sheer example. I like this in an essay. Not only does it defy the conventional Five-Paragraph Essay which we all know and "love" by placing its thesis at the end, it does so in such a way that one is able to fully digest and understand the meaning in the examples by the time the thesis is presented. This makes a thesis much easier to grasp, especially for a thesis as implausible as the one in "On Compassion." Had this essay been written in the more conventional format, I would not have believed the thesis upon its initial presentation, and I'm not sure if I would have believed it after reading the examples, either. If I learned anything from this essay, it's that placement of examples is just as important as the examples themselves.

Kozol's application of example also strays from the conventional. His examples form a mammoth list, full of everything that makes illiteracy so difficult. The sheer size of his list is what makes his thesis so impressive. Each individual point is short and suffice, so as not to overwhelm the reader. When all of these examples are gathered together, the thesis becomes very difficult to refute. After all, how can one deny a thesis that is backed up by such an ample pool of data?

Example is the key to understanding a thesis. Without examples, a thesis is left to fend for itself.