INITIALLY, HOWEVER, CONSEQUENTLY: CARTLTL SEQUENCING

Initially, However, Consequently

The below structure gives your essay a logical progression and is an effective way to examine a text that describes a
character who undergoes a significant change or challenge. Typically, in this type of structure, you examine the text in a
chronological order organized around ideas about each stage of the characters life.
INITIALLY: The first body paragraph (which contains the key word Initially or a synonym)
establishes the starting circumstances of the character. This initial situation may include a
discussion of the characters physical environment, family, friends, or society but it also must
include an examination of the characters attitudes, identity, and goals. Your first sentence (the
topic sentence) must offer an opinion or position on the character, which sums up this beginning
situation. E.g. Initially, Harold Crick deliberately lives a life ruled by predictability, pattern, and ritual.
HOWEVER: The second body paragraph (which contains the key word However or a
synonym) introduces a time of change or a significant challenge. Your first sentence (also a topic
sentence) must offer an opinion about the importance or significance of this change or challenge.
E.g. Harolds cautious, repetitive life, however, changes to one of doubt and uncertainty when he begins hearing a
voice narrating the events and thoughts of his day. This narration, unsettling as it is, culminates when the narrator,
in omniscient tones, predicts Harolds imminent demise.
CONSEQUENTLY: The third body paragraph (which contains the key word Consequently or
a synonym) examines the significant consequences of the change or challenge introduced in the
previous paragraph. In this paragraph, you examine the ways the character has responded and
whether or not the characters attitude or understanding has shifted. E.g. Confronted with his own
mortality, Harold, consequently, decides to change the structure of his life, first in an attempt to avoid death and
second in an attempt to live his life in a different, more fulfilling fashion.
FINALLY: The fourth body paragraph, an optional one, (which contains the key word Finally
or a synonym) explores the ultimate unfolding and meaning of the characters responses, choices,
and understanding. This section is the culmination of all the previous work. E.g. Through the
changes he has made and through seeing the artistic vision of the novelist Karen Eiffel, Harold Crick finally comes
to the conclusion that his life is most meaningful in the way that he chooses to live and to die.
Examples based on the film Stranger than Fiction staring Will Ferrell, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Dustin
Hoffman, Emma Thompson, and Queen Latifah.

NOTE:
Before using this way of organizing your essay, you must examine thoroughly, thoughtfully, and painstakingly
your piece of literature. You cannot organize your essay until you have developed an understanding of the
significant stages in the main characters life. Part of this preliminary work consists of identifying key events,
significant details, important quotations, and defining choices. Once you have identified the major moments of
recognition or transformation, you will then be able to find a way to exploit the strengths of the structure
explained above.

INITIALLY, HOWEVER, CONSEQUENTLY: CARTLTL SEQUENCING

The Wolf Who Cried Boy

~Bob Hartman
Once upon a time, there lived a family of wolves. They stole sheep, ran after deer, and snacked
on muskrat and squirrel.
Except for Little Wolf, that is, who never stopped complaining about what his mother prepared
each night for dinner.
Lamburgers again? he whined. I hate Lamburgers!
Sloppy Does? he howled. We had Sloppy Does last night!
Chocolate Moose? he whimpered. Cholate Moose makes me sick. And besides, it looks just
like
Thats enough! barked Father Wolf.
But it never did any good, for all Little Wolf wanted to eat was
Boy! Why cant we have Boy tonight? We never have Boy anymore!
Well, son, sighed Father Wolf, there was a time when a clever wolf could snatch a shepherd
boy off a hill or pluck a farm boy out of a field. Why, there was nothing better than a steaming plate of
Boy Chops, a big Baked Boy-tato, and some Boys-n-Berry Pie. But boys are hard to come by these
days, so stop your complaining and finish off that Moose.
Yes, Father, Little Wolf muttered. Then he asked, But suppose I did find a boy someday?
Father Wolf smiled. You find a boy out there in the woods, and your mother and I will be
happy to catch him and cook him for you. But I wouldnt get my hopes up if I were you.
The next day, as Little Wolf made his way home from school, he sniffed the air.
Three-Pig Salad! he moaned. I hate Three-Pig Salad! And then Little Wolf remembered
what his father had told him about catching a boy someday. So he decided to play a little trick, and put
off that awful dinner for a while. He ran home just as fast as he could, howling all the way.
Boy! Boy! Ive just seen a boy in the woods! If we hurry, we can catch him!
Father and Mother Wolf raced out of the cave. They ran through the woods to the top of the
hill and all the way down to the creek. They peered into trees and sniffed behind rocks and looked into
every hollow log.
But they could not find the boy.
We looked everywhere, panted Father Wolf. Everywhere a boy might go. But we just
couldnt find him. Better luck next time, son.
Little Wolf tried to look disappointed, but it was all he could do to keep from laughing.
The joke got even better when his mother announced, Oh no! The Three-Pig Salad is ruined!
The bricks are limp, the straw is damp, and the sticks have turned allsticky.
Dont worry, dear, Father Wolf said. We can make do with snack food tonight.
And so they crunched on Chipmunks and Dip, and Little Wolf was happy.
So happy, in fact, that he decided to try the same trick the very next day.
Its the boy! he cried. I saw him again! Hes just at the edge of the woods!
So, once again, Father and Mother Wolf went racing after the boy. Once again, they came
dragging home, their paws empty. And, once again, their dinner was ruined.
Just look at that Granny Smith Pie, Mother Wolf sighed. The apples are entirely too
mushy.
Yet, agreed Father Wolf. And Grannys gone all crusty and hard.
Looks like snacks again tonight. Little Wolf shrugged.
But the smile on his face made Father Wolf wonderand then he heard his son, a little later,
on the phone.

INITIALLY, HOWEVER, CONSEQUENTLY: CARTLTL SEQUENCING

Thats right, Little Wolf whispered, I didnt have to eat dinner tonight either! I think Ill tell
them theres a boy out there tomorrow, too!
Father Wolf went straight to Mother Wolf, and they agreed that on the following night, they
would ignore his silly tricks.
The next day, Little Wolf made his way home from school as usual. He could smell the awful
odor of hot steaming Muskratatouille as it floated out of the cave, and was just about to holler Boy!
when the most amazing thing happened.
There, walking through the words before him, were more boys than he had ever seen.
Boy! he cried. Boy! But no one came running from the cave.
Boy! he howled. BOYS! But still no one came.
So he ran into the cave, shouting, There are boys out there! Dozens of them! Big ones and
little ones. Fat ones and skinny ones. Enough to fill our freezer and Aunties freezer, too!
But his mother just shrugged and said, Thats nice, dear, but I already have our supper
planned.
Father Wolf hid his face behind a newspaper.
And thats when one of the boys stuck his head in the cave.
He was the mischievous typea lot like Little Wolf, in fact. And he had crept away from his
Scout pack to have a closer look.
See! Little Wolf shouted. Theres one of them now!
But even though the boy tiptoed right into the cave, Little Wolf couldnt get anyone to look.
Theres a boy on the couch! he howled.
Thats enough now, Son, said his mother.
Youre not fooling us again, added his father from behind the paper. Were on to your little
tricks.
But Im not lying this time. Honest! Little Wolf pleaded. There really is a boyright here,
in our cave!
The boy glanced at his watch, then turned to leave.
Look! Please look! Little Wolf begged. Hes getting away!
But by the time Father Wolf finally stuck his head up above the paper, the boy was gone.
You waited too long! cried Little Wolf. He was here a minute ago. All we have to do is run
outside
We will do no such thing! growled Father Wolf. From now on, you will eat your dinner
without complaining.
And you will stop your fibbing,
once and for all! said his mother. Do
you understand?
Okay, Little Wolf sighed.
So from then on, Little Wolf ate
Lamburger and Three-Pig Salad and even
grew fond of Granny Smith Pie. And he
never, ever cried Boy! again!
And thats why the boys, at least,
lived happily ever after!
THE END

INITIALLY, HOWEVER, CONSEQUENTLY: CARTLTL SEQUENCING

Sequence of Analysis (Modeling with The Scarlet Ibis)

MOMENT IN TEXT

THESIS
STATEMENT

INITIALLY
(FROM)

Brother renames his

brother Doodle
because he should not
be alive

HOWEVER
(THROUGH)

Bother leaves Doodle

behind in the
rainstorm; Doodle
dies.

CONSEQUENTLY Brother reflects on

how he mistreated his
(TO)
brother, Doodle.

FINALLY
(ULTIMATELY /
THEREFORE)

PARAGRAPH

VARIABLE(S)

INTRO.

Adversity
=
Insensitivity,
tragedy,
empathy

#1

#2

#3

# 4 OR
CONCL.

QUOTATION(S)

PHRASING
Through the narration, Hurst develops the
idea that adversity shapes Brothers identity
from insensitivity of Doodles condition
through the tragedy of his death to empathy
for his difficult life.

Insensitivity

It was bad enough having an invalid

brother, but having one who possibly was Those who have everything given to them
not all there was unbearable, so I began become lazy, selfish, and insensitive to the
to make plans to kill him by smothering real values of life.
him with a pillow (3).

Tragedy

The knowledge that Doodles and my

plans had come to naught was bitter, and Unfortunately, Brother fosters an attitude
that streak of cruelty within me of superiority until Doodles death.
awakened (8).

Empathy

For a long time, it seemed forever, I lay

there crying, sheltering my fallen scarlet ibis
from the heresy of rain (8)
/ But
sometimes (like right now), as I sit in the
cool, green-draped parlour, the grindstone
begins to turn, and time with all its changes is
ground awayand I remember Doodle (2).

As he sits, hugging his dead brother,

Brother makes the connection between the
Ibis and Doodles death; recognizing how
cruel he was to his now-departed brother.
By understanding the difficulties of Doodle,
Brother grows as a person. Ironically, he is
living proofsince Doodle diedthat
recognizing and overcoming adversity can
change a life for the better.

INITIALLY, HOWEVER, CONSEQUENTLY: CARTLTL SEQUENCING

Sequence of Analysis (Practice w/ Wolf Who Cried Boy)

MOMENT IN TEXT

PARAGRAPH

THESIS
STATEMENT

INTRO.

INITIALLY
(FROM)

#1

HOWEVER
(THROUGH)

#2

CONSEQUENTLY
(TO)

#3

FINALLY
(ULTIMATELY /
THEREFORE)

# 4 OR
CONCL.

VARIABLE(S)

QUOTATION(S)

PHRASING

INITIALLY, HOWEVER, CONSEQUENTLY: CARTLTL SEQUENCING

Sequence of Analysis (Planning for CARTLT)

MOMENT IN TEXT

PARAGRAPH

THESIS
STATEMENT

INTRO.

INITIALLY
(FROM)

#1

VARIABLE(S)

QUOTATION(S)

PHRASING

INITIALLY, HOWEVER, CONSEQUENTLY: CARTLTL SEQUENCING

MOMENT IN TEXT

PARAGRAPH

HOWEVER
(THROUGH)

#2

CONSEQUENTLY
(TO)

#3

FINALLY
(ULTIMATELY /
THEREFORE)

# 4 OR
CONCL.

VARIABLE(S)

QUOTATION(S)

8
PHRASING

INITIALLY, HOWEVER, CONSEQUENTLY: CARTLTL SEQUENCING

Final Considerations
QUESTIONS TO ASK OF YOUR DRAFT
As you write, consider asking the following questions:
Does my thesis move my readers beyond the surface of the text(s)? Does my thesis have
enough depth to unfold a new understanding for my reader? Is it appropriately limited in
scope to allow me to focus my analysis on a key aspect of the text(s)?
Does my essay have a meaningful organization that purposefully moves a reader from one
idea to the next rather than from one example to the next? Before moving to a new
idea/assertion, do I provide and discuss adequate support?
Do I use relevant textual support to substantiate my thesis? For each example meant to
support my thesis, do I use only those pieces that are relevant to my claim?
For each piece of textual evidence presented, do I offer discussion that sheds light on its
significance within the context of my thesis? Will my reader understand why I am using a
particular example/quotation?
Do I waste space on unnecessary summary of stories and plots? Do I make purposeful
choices about when to summarize, paraphrase, and quote primary and secondary sources?
Do I use proper MLA format for my paper and in documenting sources?
COMMON PITFALLS TO AVOID
When writing a paper on a piece of literature, take care to avoid the following common pitfalls:
LACK OF AN ADEQUATELY COMPLEX THESISa good thesis moves your reader beyond a
simple observation. It asserts an arguable perspective that requires some work on your part
to demonstrate its validity.
EXCESSIVE SUMMARIZINGyour task is to move beyond mere summary to help a reader
understand a not-so-obvious idea. You can assume your reader has read the literature but
that he/she will not remember every detail relevant to your perspective.
ASSUMPTION THAT THERE IS ONE CORRECT OR HIDDEN MEANINGyour essay should aim
to expand your readers understanding of a text, not to present a single, definitive meaning.
This means that you are offering and supporting one potential interpretation.
EXCESSIVE QUOTINGwhen quoting in order to provide textual evidence, use only the
relevant part of the quotation. When you establish a claim/assertion and provide textual
support, be sure to explain the relationship between the quotation and the assertion. Your
reader cannot read your mind.
LACK OF ADEQUATE SUPPORTa well-crafted thesis requires substantiation in the form of
textual evidence. Often, if your thesis does not make a complex, arguable claim, the act of
substantiation becomes difficult. Take care to develop a thesis that will require purposeful
use of textual evidence.
USE OF PERSONAL ASIDES AND VALUE JUDGMENTSyour task is to shed light on what a text
does and to make assertions grounded in textual evidence, not in personal opinion.
SHIFTING VERB TENSEwhen writing about literature, use present tense, even if the events
take place in the past.

INITIALLY, HOWEVER, CONSEQUENTLY: CARTLTL SEQUENCING

10
PASSIVE VOICEuse active voice as often as possible. Active voice generally is more
concise and lively than passive voice.
REFERENCES TO THE COMPOSITION OF THE ESSAYyou do not need to refer to what your
paper is doing or what you plan to do in the essay. Instead, move your argument forward
if your ideas are clearly and logically argued, your reader will recognize what you are doing
without the need for announcements.
REFERENCE TO THE AUTHOR BY HIS/HER FIRST NAMEit is customary and respectful to
refer to the author using his/her last name. The first time you mention the author, use
his/her full name.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Typically write about one text and one major character from that text (other characters can
be referred to in the discussion).
Remember: the titles of novels, plays, and films are underlined or italicized; poem and short
story titles are placed in quotations marks.
Do not start sentences with FANBOYS (For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So)this often
creates a sentence fragment.
Do not use contractions (dont = do not; isnt = is not).
Avoid using you, me, or I. There is no need to address yourself and/or the reader in a
critical analytical paper. If you are generalizing about the human condition, the use of we
may be appropriate, e.g. We all struggle to understand our place in the world. Be sure to
use we sparingly.
Avoid clichs (Good things come to those who wait) and overgeneralizations or soapbox
statements (Everyone believes).
Try not to use preachy statements (People should/have to/must).
Watch for the overuse of words (unless this word is central to your topic and there is no
good synonym for it).
Use specific verbs (bridge words) when you are explaining your evidence such as: indicates,
demonstrates, reveals, illustrates, signifies, symbolizes, explains, conveys, explores, proves,
implies, asserts, portrays, depicts, creates, describes, expresses, establishes.
Use your best diction and voice; remember to keep it formal.
Check for sentence variety (types, starters, lengths).
Check your spelling, especially the name of the text and text creator.
Check sentence structureavoid fragments, comma splices, and run-ons.
Do not forget an original titleand try to make it catchy. Take a word, phrase, or idea from
your conclusion.
End with a BANGa question, philosophical thoughts, or maybe even your own metaphor
(hintif you come up with an effective metaphor or image, it often makes for a great title).