IntroductionParagraph

A.AttentionGrabber

SecretsatUncleTomsCabin

B.Background

CassandraClareoncesaid,Liesandsecrets,theyarelikeacancerinthe

C.Thesis/Claim

soul.Theyeatawaywhatisgoodandleaveonlydestructionbehind.

Althoughmostofpeoplewouldagreethatkeepingsecretscanbenecessary

attimes,overall,societyencouragesustosharethings.Inthesong,Uncle

TomsCabin,thesingerchallengesthisideabypresentingaspeakerwho

witnessesacrime,butareunabletoreportittotheauthorities.
Warrantinthe

songUncleTomsCabinusesnarration,visualimageryandsituationalirony

todiscussthatsecretscanbenecessarytosurvive.

Inthesong,theuseofnarrationhelpstheaudienceseethatsecrets

BodyParagraphs

mustbekepttosurvive.
Narrationpoetryusuallytellsastory,andtotella

A. ClaimwithTransition storytheremustbecharactersandsetting.Atthebeginningofthesong,the
B. DefinetheTerms

speakerestablishesthesetwothings.

Justfortherecordletsgetthestory

andIntroducethe

straight/MeandUncleTomwerefishinitwasgettingprettylate/Outona

quote

cypresslimbabovethewishinwell/Wheretheysayitgotnobottomsayit

C. Evidencefromthe
textwithcitation
D. Breakdownofthe
Evidence
E. Explanationof
SupportofClaim
F. Explanationof
SupportofThesis
G. Concluding

takeyoudowntohell(14).
Heretheauthorisdescribingthatthespeakerand
hisunclearefishingatnight.
Bysayingthisheisshowingwhothestorywill
beaboutandwhereitwilltakeplace.Thesettingmakestheaudiencethinkof
adangeroustimeandplacewherebadthingsarelikelytohappeninthe
narrative.
Whilethespeakerdoesnttelluswhatthesecretisyet,thephrase
letsgetthestorystraight,letstheaudienceknowthatthisisaconfession.
Usually,whenpeopleconfessthatmeansthereisasecretbeingrevealedthat
couldhavebigconsequences.Itcomesoutinthenextstanzathatthe

Sentence

consequencescouldevencostthespeakerhislife.

Torevealthenatureofthe
secrethebeginstodescribeexactlywhathappenedthatnight.

H. ClaimwithTransition
I.

Thebandusesvisualimagerytoshowtheimportanceofkeepinga

DefinetheTerms

secret.

Earlyinthesong,thebandestablishesthesettingintheswamp,and

andIntroducethe

thenthespeakerdescribeswhathesaw
Twomenwalkinginthepale

quote

moonlight/SheriffJohnBradyandDeputyHedge/Haulintwolimpbodies

J. Evidencefromthe
textwithcitation
K. Breakdownofthe
Evidence
L. Explanationof
SupportofClaim
M. Explanationof
SupportofThesis
N. Concluding
Sentence

downtothewatersedge(68).
Thisdescribeshowthesheriffandthedeputy
arethrowingdeadbodiesintothepondatnight.
Thisisvisualimagery
becausethereisadescriptionthatincludesthepeople,thetimeofday,and
whattheyaredoingsothereadercouldimagineit.

Theimageofasheriffand
deputyhidingbodieswouldbeasecretthatmostpeoplewouldbeafraidto
sharebecauseofwhattheauthoritiesmightdoinretaliation.Thisshowsthat
forthespeakerifhewantstosurvivehewillhavetokeepthissecret.

The
authorthenbeginstodiscussthecrisisofwhocouldthespeakerpossiblytell
thesecretto.
Atthispointinthesong,Warrantusessituationalironytoexpresshow

O. ClaimwithTransition akeytosurvivaliskeepingsecrets.
Situationalironyiswhentheexpectations
P. DefinetheTerms

oftheaudiencearenotmet,butinsteadatwistendingispresented.The

andIntroducethe

speakerandhisunclemanagetoleavethecrimesceneandmakeitbackto

quote

TomsCabin.Thespeakerandhisunclethenhavethefollowingconversation.

Q. Evidencefromthe
textwithcitation
R. Breakdownofthe
Evidence
S. Explanationof
SupportofClaim

OhmyGod,Tom,whoarewegoingtotell?/TheSheriff,hebelongsina
prisoncell(2324).

Atthispointthespeakerwantstofigureoutwhotheycan
reportthepoliceto,buthisunclereplies,

Keepyourmouthshut,thatswhat
weregoingtodo/Unlessyouwanttowindupinthewishingwelltoo
(2526).
Heretheuncleexplainsthatthereisnoonethattheycantelltheir
secretto.
T
hisisanexampleofsituationalironyforseveralreasons.One

T. Explanationof
SupportofThesis
U. Concluding
Sentence

reasonisthatinmostinstances,thepolicearesearchingforwhohas
murderedpeopleanddisposedthebodies,nottheotherwayaround.Another
reasonthatthisissituationalironyisbecausemostpeoplelisteningtothe
storywouldassumethattheuncleencouragedhisnephewtotellthestory
becausethesongbeginswithJustfortherecordletsgetthestorystraight
(1)whichmeansheistellingthestorytosomeone.
Thisshowsthat,according
totheuncle,thespeakermustkeepthissecretifhedoesntwanttobekilled.
Althoughmanypeoplebelievethatsecretsaredangeroustokeep,
WarrantinthesongUncleTomsCabindiscussthatsecretscanbe
necessarytosurvive.Throughtheuseofstorytelling,richdescription,and
twistendingtheaudiencecaneasilyseethatinthedangeroussituationof
beingonthewrongsideoflawmen,keepingasecret,atleastforalittlewhile,
mightbeforthebest.Althoughbytheendofthesong,theaudiencehearing
thesongisletinonthesecretandgiventhedetails,thetruestmessagemight
betokeepasecretuntilthebesttimepresentsitself.Warrantmightagree
withClareandwanttoendthespreadoftheSheriffandDeputysdestructive
presenceintownbyhavingthespeakersharethestorywithallofus.