Essay 17: Final Draft

Marion Philippe

English 8

Mr. Salsich

03-07-10

Year of the Gentlemen and the Ladies:

An Essay About Gentlemen and Ladies

TS: In a lifetime, one will see a gentleman or a lady. CM: Sometimes a man will be holding the door for others or a lady will be teaching her children right from wrong. CM: However, everyone’s definition differs; therefore, we truly do not know the real definition of a gentleman or a lady. CS: Some examples of what my definition is are found throughout the novel To Kill a Mockingbird and my life.

TS: As Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird comes to an end, the characters’ personalities are exposed; for example, some are described as gentlemen and others as “great [ladies]”. SD: Little Chuck Little, Scout’s classmate, showed how to be a true gentleman in the classroom. CM: When Miss Caroline saw lice crawl out of someone’s hair, Little Chuck Little “put his hand under her elbow and led [her] to the front of the room” where he went to fetch some water. CM: This showed that even the less fortunate can be well educated and can be “born [as gentlemen]”. SD: Atticus Finch, a role model to Jem and Scout, an affectionate parent, and a very polite man once told Mrs. Dubose that “[she] looked like a picture this evening,” (anaphora). CM: Jem and Scout said, “Hey, Mrs. Dubose,” but they were later scolded by her making Atticus come forward, like any gentleman, and say a compliment. CM: This not only made Mrs. Dubose feel nice, but it also taught Jem how to act like a gentleman and Scout how to be “a great lady”. SD: In similar fashion, Aunt Alexandra would be considered a lady. CM: Although, it might not be shown, Aunt Alexandra teaches Scout some valuable lessons when she is staying at the Finch’s house; for example, she taught Scout how to stand tall when in a crisis. CM: In fact, Aunt Alexandra also taught Scout that “[she] must soon enter this world, where on its surface fragrant ladies rocked slowly, fanned gently, and drank cool water.” CS: Not many gentlemen or ladies are found now days, but in To Kill a Mockingbird, they are found in every chapter, even if they are hidden.

TS: As many examples of gentlemen and ladies appear in To Kill a Mockingbird, some can also be found in my life. SD: My grandpa, an intelligent, well educated man, is one of the noblest person I have ever met (appositive S-V split). CM: Since my childhood, I have noticed he is very patient and is always there for someone who is in need, like a gentleman. CM: For example, every time I go to my grandparent’s house in the summer, he is always helping a neighbor or a friend with repairs, and he is always there to take us where we want. SD: Secondly, if we make a mistake, my grandpa will always teach us how to fix it. CM: Sometimes he never says anything, standing there for us to realize what we have done, waiting for us to fix our mistake, looking upon us to see if we have understood our lesson and making us understand that not everything is a bad mistake (loose sentence with 30 + words). CM: Some other times, he tells us in a gentleman’s tone, very politely and in a direct way, how to change what we have done and to never make the same mistake again. SD: Meanwhile, my sister reminds me of how to be and to act like a lady every day. CM: Although she is still growing and learning, she always thinks of others first and never complains. CM: She always puts a smile on her face and sometimes on others, which is what a lady should do. CS: I had never thought about what a “true gentleman” and “a great lady” means, but now I realized that some were right in front of me.

TS: Gentlemen or ladies can be around the corner waiting or can be found standing in front of you. CM: Some are teaching others how to become a gentleman or a lady, like Atticus. CM: Meanwhile, some are teaching others how to fix mistakes, like my grandpa. CS: All in all, gentlemen and ladies are always to help us and are always there to teach us, even if it is in a peaceful, quiet way.

Essay 17 Self-Assessment:

-Coming up with the right examples of gentlemen and ladies and also the spelling/ grammar took the longest time for me. I wanted to find the biggest and the examples that would best support my SD's throughout the whole essay; furthermore, it was hard for me to know when to put words, like gentleman, in plural form or where to put commas.

-I think that I changed some of the grammar and changed some of my wording or took some words out to make my sentences as neat as possible. Also, I made sure that in my second draft, my introductory paragraph would be understandable and would also introduce my subject to the readers.

-I liked all of my examples that I used throughout my essay. Although it took a lot of time, I made sure that every example would fit and would make sense.

My grammar and some of the wording in the essay is what I could've of improved on. I made sure that I polished my essay over and over again, but I am still a bit shaky in these areas.