Critical Essay Outline Paper

SHORT VERSION OF TITLE 1

SHORT VERSION OF TITLE 2

Long Official Title of My Essay

Student Name

Course Number & Title

Instructor’s Name

Month Day, Year

Long Official Title of My Essay

Introduction: Anecdote about what led to your interest in this topic or theme. For this sample outline, I am using Elizabeth Gilbert’s memoir, Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia. Her book, based on her months traveling and finding herself after her divorce, was a huge global success. It was later turned into a film starring Julia Roberts. Critical Essay Outline Paper

Thesis Statement: Although Elizabeth Gilbert, in her memoir Eat, Pray, Love, argues that travel is a good way to learn about one’s self and to heal after a traumatic experience like divorce, I believe that travel is often a form of escapism, and you can learn just as much about yourself by staying home and working on self-growth.

· Topic Sentence for Body Paragraph #1: Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love taught readers that travel is fundamental to growth.

a. Where Gilbert traveled to

b. Details about what she experienced

c. Quote from Eat, Pray, Love

d. Challenges she faced

· Topic Sentence for Body Paragraph #2: Like Gilbert, I have traveled a lot, and have grown from those experiences.

a. Places I’ve traveled

b. Details about challenges I faced

c. How travel can help you get out of your comfort zone, which is where growth really happens

· Topic Sentence for Body Paragraph #3: However, not everyone can afford to travel, and sometimes travel is a form of escapism.

a. Quote from Eat, Pray, Love about how her publisher gave her an advance on her book, which is how she afforded to travel for months

b. Travel is a luxury and not everyone can afford to do it

c. People should not feel bad for not having traveled

d. Some people may not travel because they are busy working to make their community better, rather than escaping

· Topic Sentence for Body Paragraph #4: People can learn about themselves and grow by challenging themselves in their own homes and communities.

a. Description of “self-growth” and what that entails

b. Examples of ways through which we can grow: yoga, meditation, volunteering in our communities, journaling, challenging ourselves (i.e. running a marathon or learning a new skill)

c. Ways that I have grown more while at home than while traveling

d. Ways that travel is sometimes just lonely or luxurious, and you don’t meet people or grow at all!

· Conclusion:

a. Repeat thesis, including the title of the book and author’s name

b. Summarize my main points

c. We have a mistaken concept that travel is necessary for growth

d. Invite the reader to think about whether they are growing and challenging themselves even while at home

References

Gilbert, E. (2006). Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia.

Author, A. (Year Published). Article title. Journal Name, Volume(Issue), page range. doi:# or Retrieved from journal’s homepage URL

Author, A. (Year Published). Article title. Journal Name, Volume(Issue), page range. doi:# or Retrieved from journal’s homepage URL