Chris Collins
September 27, 2009
Mr. Salsich
English 8

FINAL DRAFT:
Mystery

(Opening) Karl von Clausewitz once said, “Although our intellect always longs for clarity and certainty, our nature often finds uncertainty fascinating.” (CM) We are constantly surrounded by mystery, and although we often desperately want to know the truth, sometimes we are even more interested in the unknown. (CM) The unknown is so fascinating; it can often draw people in like moths to a glowing lantern. (Thesis) Mystery is found in many books, like To Kill a Mockingbird, but it is also found in reality.

(TS) To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, is filled with mystery. There are many things and characters in this book that are mysterious. (SD) For example, the Radleys’ are mysterious people. (CM) They imprison themselves inside their home and rarely come out, except at night. (CM) Boo Radley is surrounded by a lot of mystery. It is legend that every night he comes out while everyone is asleep, and walks around the neighborhood and through people’s backyards. He is thought of as a tall, monstrous person. As the narrator says, “Inside the house lives a malevolent phantom.” (SD) Another mysterious character in the book is the narrator. (CM) We know her name is Jean and that she is a female, but we do not learn how old she is. (CM) She could be talking about recent years when she was in first grade, or she could be talking about many years ago. (SD) There is one more mystery in this book, the town. I believe that their town is a bit strange and mysterious. (CM) Their way of life is different; they don’t have money to pay for things, so they pay with things they make, for example, food. (CM) Maycomb is also a bit of a ghost town, all of the people move slowly, and they do the same thing every day. (CS) If an outsider ventured into this small town, they might think it and its people are a little strange and mysterious.

(TS) One of my own neighbors, Nancy, is mysterious like many of the characters in To Kill a Mockingbird. (SD) Like the Radleys in the novel, Nancy stays in her home most of the time. (CM) When I drive past the house every morning to go to school, it appears deserted. The grass is slightly overgrown, and there are no cars in the driveway. (CM) When she does, on occasion, venture out of her home, it is usually for short periods of time. (SD) Also, Nancy is very mysterious because she always knows what is going on in the neighborhood. (CM) When I or my parents go for walks, she will occasionally come quickly out of her house and begin to talk to us. (CM) She will say strange things like, “Oh, I saw you driving to work at seven o’ clock yesterday.” (SD) Nancy is also strange in appearance. (CM) She is a short old lady that has layers and layers of makeup caked on her face. (CM) She also wears long old fashioned dresses, with many large necklaces. (CS) Books, like To Kill a Mockingbird, are filled with many mysterious characters and events, but mystery is not limited to novel; it is found in everyday life.

(Opening) It is human nature to be curious, and curiosity and mystery stick together like magnets. (CM) When people are confronted with the unknown, they are often curious to get answers. (CM) However, when people are about to be confronted with the truth, they often fear it. (CM) For example, when Jem was dared to run up to the Radleys’ house, his curiosity about the unknown drove him to complete the dare, but as soon as he touched the house, his fear of the unknown overcame him, and it forced him to turn around and run away. (CS) There are many books that contain mystery, but life also contains lots of mystery, and it often makes people curious.