The first writing rule a high school freshman learns is to create a detailed, structured thesis. A concise opening creates a unified paper. The beginning lines of the introduction in "The Little Women" set the stage for the rest of the argument:

The Old Curiosity Shop also contains fascinating contortions of Victorian

By giving the readers a sharp thesis, Ayres provides a clear direction for the discussion. Readers know what to expect from the paper and are not surprised by information later on in the text. "The She-Dragon" lacks definite direction. The introduction tells that Sally Brass will be discussed, but does not explain what aspects of her character will be included in that discussion (1). The readers must read further into the selections to discover any information. While entertaining, the quote from Dick Swiveller does little to inform the reader on the purpose of the argument.

One small error can damage an argument. Both "The She-Dragon" and "The Little Women" talk in great lengths about the parentage of the Marchioness. Ayres considers this detail to be crucial in understanding the attitudes of Sally and the servant girl. While the selections place so much emphasis on the relationship between Sally, Quilp, and the Marchioness, they fail to cite a place in the book where this is mentioned. Ayres leaves the reader to find the location of her source. During my reading of The Old Curiosity Shop, I did not understand the significance of Chapter Sixty-six. When Ayres discusses it in her selections, I was confused and had to search through the book to find the passage she was talking about. This lack of detail and proper citation causes unnecessary work for the readers. Both selections are flawed because of one lack of citation.

Similarly, the conclusion of "The She-Dragon" falls short of perfection. Ayres states that: "the text has not judged her [Sally] [. . .]impartially", but fails to give an example to back the comment. An example or citation from the text would help her argument tremendously by giving credibility to the statement and closure to the conclusion. The sentences are stale; they lack energy and excitement. Instead of giv

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