How do I structure my essay?

This is such a commonly asked question, that I rarely address much else in my first lesson. Structuring essays is overwhelming, especially when you are comparing two literary works, looking to show off what you know and hit those assessment objectives!An essay structure is, at its core a pretty simple - Introduction, 3-4 paragraphs and a conclusion. So step one: Once you have made your quick plan highlight the key points you would like to discuss and order these. These are going to be the focus of each paragraph. If you just listed these after the line 'This essay will discuss...' - you would have a very basic introduction. That is because all the introduction really is, is a tool to tell the reader what key points you will address in your essay and give them an idea of the argument you are about to make. (Point to consider: How might we polish this into a slicker more engaging introduction?)Paragraphs: Each paragraph can be structured along the PEAL method. That is Point: the focus we identified in the planning stage. Evidence: a quote from the text. Analysis: use our literary jargon to reveal what the quote shows us. Link: Which forms two points for A level students, as you link both to the wider context and then back to the question. Each of these points can be a new sentence and as such you form a full paragraph that hits all of the criterion just by following this method. Exercise: What key things has this introduction told us? What would the Points of the paragraphs be for this essay? “Literature is often said to be timeless. To what extent is this true of the works you have studied”Although the Atlantic ocean and 78 years separate Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre and F. Scott Fitzgerald’s, The Great Gatsby, critics have inextricably linked both in the category of timeless classic. ‘Timeless’ however, is in many ways a reductive category when we study these writers and their works. By analysing how Bronte and Fitzgerald’s novels explore the restrictions of class, I will reveal how these works sought not only to entertain but to comment on and challenge the social structure of their times. I will also analyse how both novels address contemporary debates around femininity; Bronte through the choice of a female protagonist and Fitzgerald through the flawed character of Daisy. While recognising that the continued importance of these topics ensures these novels remain relevant today, this essay will demonstrate that both novels were written to address their specific social contexts.