Chapter 8 Exemplification

In Chapter 8, Kirszner and Mandell define the process of exemplification which utilizes cases, or examples to illustrate and explain a general point or an abstract concept. Exemplification can be used in all situations and is an effective way of explaining and clarifying, adding interest, and persuading an audience but only when used appropriately. Examples used to explain should directly pertain to the topic and should clarify information which aids in understanding the essay. To add interest, examples should be specific and intriguing in that they pull the reader but not distract or confuse them from the purpose of the essay. When trying to persuade readers, examples should indicate reasons why they should consider the perspective and convince them of the credibility of the author to build a sense of trust. In addition, all examples should center around and support the thesis statement. These examples throughout the essay should work to reinforce the main topic and the point being made. Besides carefully choosing examples based on their relevance to the thesis, it is important to consider the number of examples included. Although there is not a set number, there should be enough examples to support the main idea but not so much that it takes away from the writing or fails to stay relevant to the topic. Furthermore, a good range of examples is necessary to persuade readers. It is not effective to provide only one example as readers cannot assume this can represent the outcome of all situations which is why it is necessary to provide an adequate amount of examples which properly develop the thesis. Likewise, it it necessary to consider the structure of an exemplification essay such as whether to arrange the essay chronologically, by order of increasing complexity, or by order of importance.

After reading Chapter 8, I felt that I had a better grasp of exemplification in regards to how to use in and what factors to consider when including examples. Although this chapter did provide further insight, I did have prior knowledge of the importance of examples as a way to get the main point across. When writing essays, I've found that examples are a highly effective way of convincing readers of your perspective as well as the credibility of yourself as an author. For example, if examples are used which lack development and do not support the topic properly, readers can assume the author has not done sufficient research and will be less likely to agree with the author's perspective. I found the tip of going back to revise the thesis, as stated on page 202 to be particularly helpful because I usually restrict myself to having to find examples which directly support the thesis and sometimes it's difficult to do this. This often leads me to include examples which do not precisely support the thesis, making it difficult for readers to see my perspective when I could simply go back and change my thesis. Additionally, the paragraph which talks about providing enough examples stood out to me because I've always used three as a rule of thumb and I've gotten used to this method of writing when three examples does not always apply to the situation and the essay might require just one example or five examples. In particular, I also found the revision and editing checklists to be useful and made a mental note to come back and use them because I usually do not know where to start when going back and reviewing my writing.