Read slowly and notice how the essay starts off as a narrative essay but moves to the argument in the last 2 – 3 pages. (You can find all the essays at the top of the module: The Evaluative Essay — Required Readings and SLOs.
Sabo’s Introduction, Thesis Statement, and Key Points
All three authors you’ve read take their time before giving the thesis. Paglia covers different topics that surround the topic of cosmetic surgery and Gladwell writes about college students. Sabo writes about his personal life.
Sabo’s introduction
Sabo starts his essay with a narrative about his days playing football. You’ll notice that he does not give his thesis statement or key arguments until the bottom of page 61.
Sabo’s Thesis Statement
You’ll find his thesis statement at the bottom of page 61 paragraph 7.
“My pain, each individual’s pain is really a linkage to an outer world of people, events, and forces. The origins of our pain are rooted outside, not inside, our skins.”
In short, Sabo argues that patriarchy is the cause of our pain.
How do we know he blames patriarchy? All his key arguments that defend his thesis deal with patriarchy. He also clues us in with the title of the essay.
Sabo’s Three Key Arguments
To back his thesis Sabo offers three main points or key arguments. You can find his points after his thesis, which means they are on page 62 to the end of the essay.
Key Argument 1: Sabo writes that men are taught to ignore pain both physically and emotionally. (See paragraph 8 page 62.)
Key Argument 2: His second argument starts with paragraph 9. He describes the structural elements of patriarchy and notes that patriarchy causes problems for both women and men.
Usually, we only think of the problems that patriarchy causes for women, but Sabo was one of the first to contend that it damages men as well, specifically by causing intermale dominance.
Argument 3: Sabo’s third argument is found in paragraph 10.
Hierarchy by its own nature creates inequity and pain. Sabo contends that we have created cultural messages that make us believe these inequities and the pain that comes with patriarchy are perfectly fine. Sabo uses the example of religion and family.
Western religions–most religions–are based on patriarchal beliefs.
Think of God the “father” in religious texts and how God punishes and causes pain in order to “teach” various lessons. In a sense, Sabo argues that we have been taught through religion that pain is fine.
We have been socialized to believe that pain is good. We are taught that pain is okay from religion, our families and certain societal views. People are considered “pure” and “good” if they wait to have sex until they’re married. Women, in particular, are judged on whether they are “pure” or not, which ties into the first sentence of paragraph 10.
Assignment: Key Point Analysis
Directions: explain paragraph 9 (page 62) of Sabo’s essay (key point 2). You will need to use your own words and examples to prove an understanding of the paragraph. Replacing the author’s words with words from the thesaurus doesn’t count. Explain the specifics of the paragraph as if explaining his point to someone who’s not read the essay.
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