Suppose you've read both "Snakes Alive!" (written by a native of India) and "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" (written by someone who lived in India for a while but was native to England). You've drawn the conclusion that including an animal that is universally viewed as either evil or dangerous in a story creates a sense of anxiety and tension, regardless of the writer's or reader's cultural background. You've found evidence in both texts that you can cite to support your claim. Now what?
The best way to present your thesis, or claim, and supporting evidence is to write an essay organized into paragraphs that each play a role in "proving" your claim is true, correct, or at least very likely. Read each of the rows below to see how such an essay might be built.
| Thesis Paragraph |
The snake is a symbol of evil in many cultures, and is dreaded by people around the world. In the stories "Snakes Alive!" by Rahul Alvares and "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" by Rudyard Kipling, the authors use the figure of the dreaded snake to create a sense of tension and dread in the reader. |
| Textual Evidence 1 |
In "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi," the mother character is terrified of the idea that a snake might injure her child. In fact, she is willing to allow a wild mongoose in her child's room, rather than consider the possibility that a snake might get in. The father character explains, “Teddy’s safer with that little beast than if he had a bloodhound to watch him. If a snake came into the nursery now…” And Kipling adds, "But Teddy’s mother wouldn’t think of anything so awful." |
| Explanation 1 |
By describing the mother's fear of snakes and her anxiety for her child's safety, the author has created a sense of anxiety, and has foreshadowed the possibility that a snake might well endanger the child. |
| Textual Evidence 2 |
In "Snakes Alive!" the author describes his experience working with snakes as a risky venture: "I was also taught the proper way of holding and handling snakes. On the third day, I was bitten by a wolf snake." |
| Explanation 2 |
Although the author of "Snakes Alive!" eventually becomes comfortable with snakes, this example shows how the image of the snake can be used to create a sense of anxiety in the reader. In this case, the description of a snake bite is intriguing, and makes readers want to know more about this terrible incident. |
| Conclusion |
When they include the subject of snakes in their writing, both authors create a sense of dread and foreboding. The stories resolve themselves very differently, but the impact of the snake symbol on readers is very similar. |
