RSU/MSAD 54

MLA Format - Outlines

The outline is a tool for organizing your paper. It is a skeleton of main ideas and details stated in words, phrases, or sentences to show the general content and organization of your material.

A working outline consists of brief main ideas and phrases that show the overall direction of the paper. It can be created after the note-taking phase of the research.

Sample:

F. Scott Fitzgerald, Symbol of the American Dream

Thesis: F. Scott Fitzgerald epitomized the American dream of the early 20th Century in both his personal life and his writings.

I. Description of the American dream
  A. Qualities of dream
  B. Why it is a common American dream
  C. State Fitzgerald's position in American literature
  D. State thesis
II. Early life, goal oriented
  A. Parents
      1.Workplace
      2. Income
  B. Childhood
      1. Hobbies
      2. Goals
  C. College
      1. Interests
      2. Academics
III. Writing accomplishments
  A. Beginnings, first published
  B. Novels and short stories
      1. Topics
      2. Popularity
  C. Difficulties
      1. No publisher
      2. The Depression
IV. Obstacles that interfered with dream
  A. Alcoholism
  B. Wife's schizophrenia
  C. Declining audience
  D. Spending habits
V. Achievement of the dream in life and death
  A. Popularity of novels then and now
  B. His lifestyle revealed through his work
      1. Examples from The Great Gatsby
      2. Examples from The Beautiful and the Damned
VI. Conclusion
  A. Restate thesis
  B. Main points from body paragraphs
      1. Lived around affluence in early life
      2. Faced difficulties throughout his writing career
      3. Personal issues created obstacles
      4. Lived the American dream personally and through his writing
  C. Quote from The Great Gatsby