How can I structure this essay?

[werdna]

OK, so I've got an essay to do on this topic.. Hopefully you can still help me with this, even if you don't know the text!

In the collection of short stories Interpreter of Maladies, silences and actions reveal as much about characters' feelings and intentions as the words they use to communicate with others. Discuss.

[liuetenant]

Hey, i do IOM too
I did my SAC last week!
Anyhow, regarding your Q, its really dependant on whether you agree with it or not--or even partially agree. If you do agree that silence and actions also reveal the characters like words do, then focus the majority of your paragraphs on proving this. However, it seems to me that you disagree with the prompt and beleive that silence and actions reveal the characters MORE than words do.
So work on proving that.
But it seems as though you've already got down three topic sentences (if you're doing three paras). If so, then let those be the start of your argument and select the evidence to go with it.
EG.
1: silence and actions speak more loudly than words
2: silence and actions do not have same impact as words
3: compare/ contrast

Do you get me? haha.
By the way, what evidence were you thinking of using?

If you agree, then in each of your arguments, maybe select your evidence and then focus on how words are used to communicate, BUT mainly emphasise the way through which silience etc is used to communicate, as that is the significant part to your topic question.

Your ideas about silence not having the same impact and revealling more than words etc etc, should be in different paragraphs, not lumped together in one, coz remember, different idea, different paragrpah.

[lexitu]

Maybe a paragraph on silence, action and dialogue as you mentioned and then one more to to acknowledge the complexity of things and collate the prior paragraphs? It's pretty hard to help you having not read the book. 

[werdna]

Thanks guys, I'm going to post up the essay on this in the essay forum in an hour or two.