Chicago Style Writing Essay Examples
The Chicago Manual of Style formatting guidelines are commonly used when writing humanities papers and essays. Some key characteristics of the Chicago style include the use of footnotes or endnotes to cite sources, title levels to indicate hierarchy, and a bibliography or reference list of sources cited. In this article, we will explore Chicago style writing through several essay examples.
Example 1 – History Essay on 1960s Counterculture
One example of a Chicago style essay could cover a history topic analyzing the 1960s counterculture movement in the United States. Here is a potential introduction:
The 1960s was a decade of immense social change in America. Many young people rejected mainstream cultural values and aimed to change society through various forms of political and cultural activism. This emerging counterculture challenged social norms regarding issues like gender roles, sexuality, drugs, and politics. Groups like the hippies promoted a lifestyle of peace, love, and alternative spirituality. The spread of this counterculture movement had widespread impacts that still resonate today.
This introductory paragraph establishes the overall topic and thesis of analyzing the 1960s counterculture movement in America. The following body paragraphs would delve into more specific aspects supported by citations using footnotes.
For example, one body paragraph may focus on the rise of hippie communities:
Many countercultural youth rejected conformist suburbia and sought alternative forms of community living. In cities like San Francisco, vibrant hippie neighborhoods emerged, centered around places like Haight-Ashbury.[1] Communes also developed in more rural areas, where hippies tried to “drop out” of mainstream society and live self-sufficient lifestyles close to nature.[2] These communities not only embraced psychedelic drugs and rock music festivals but also aimed to build a more cooperative and egalitarian social model.[3] The emergence of distinct hippie enclaves demonstrated how the counterculture manifested spatially and paved the way for the “Summer of Love” in 1967.
The footnotes would cite specific sources used while the body paragraph analyzes a aspect of the counterculture phenomenon. Additional body paragraphs could discuss topics like political activism, changing gender and sexual norms, the rise of new media to spread countercultural ideas, and more. A conclusion paragraph would then summarize key impacts and lasting influences of the 1960s counterculture movement in America. A bibliography listing full citations of sources used would follow Chicago style format at the end.
Example 2 – Literary Analysis of aPoem
Another common Chicago style essay would provide a literary analysis of a poem or other creative work. For example, an essay may analyze and interpret the themes within William Butler Yeats’s 1919 poem “The Second Coming.” Here is a potential introduction:
Written in the aftermath of World War I, W.B. Yeats’s modernist poem “The Second Coming” captures the disillusionment and sense of social disorder of the time through ominous imagery and symbolism. Yeats utilizes specific rhetorical techniques and literary devices to convey ideas about the decline of Western civilization and the possible emergence of a new brutal phase in human history. An examination of these elements in “The Second Coming” reveals Yeats grappling with profound questions about humanity’s progress and destiny.
Analyzing specific lines and stanzas, body paragraphs would then discuss concepts like:
The opening lines set an ominous and apocalyptic tone through metaphor: “Turning and turning in the widening gyre / The falcon cannot hear the falconer.”[4] Here, Yeats suggests social and spiritual chaos represented by the out of control “gyre” and inability to heed moral authority. The repetition of “turning” emphasizes themes of recurrence and inevitable decline.
Additional paragraphs could examine symbols like the “rough beast” mentioned and their possible meanings, biblical and historical allusions, and rhetorical choices like rhetorical questions and anaphora that add to the poem’s sense of impending doom.
A conclusion may then summarize Yeats’s overall message and what the poem reveals about his perspective on humanity at that pivotal moment in history. As with the previous example, footnotes would cite specific sources while a reference list in Chicago style format would conclude the essay.
Example 3- Public Policy Essay
The Chicago style is also well-suited for essays addressing topics in public policy, economics, or other social sciences. For example, one may write an essay evaluating proposals to reform the US healthcare system. An introduction could be:
Since its enactment in 2010, the Affordable Care Act has expanded access to health insurance but remains controversial and politically divisive in the United States. As debates continue over the ACA’s future, policymakers on both sides have put forth new ideas to further change the system. Two prominent proposals warrant examination – establishing a single-payer “Medicare for All” system versus promoting greater private market competition through defined contribution plans. Analyzing these approaches provides insights into ongoing reform efforts and the tradeoffs involved in expanding coverage and controlling costs.
Body paragraphs would then delve into:
Supporters argue a single-payer system could achieve universal coverage in a simpler way and allow the government to directly negotiate drug prices and provider rates to reduce costs.[5] Critics contend a government-run plan risks excessive wait times and would require significant tax increases.[6] Transitioning to such a system also presents major implementation challenges.[7]
Alternatively, defined contribution plans aim to leverage choice and competition among private insurers to expand options and lower premiums for individuals and small businesses.[8] But maintaining adequate consumer cost protections remains a concern, as does the risk of market instability if healthy patients exit comprehensive plans.[9]
A balanced conclusion would weigh the perspectives on each approach as well as possibilities for compromise reforms. Chicago style footnote citations and a reference list in standard format concludes this policy-focused essay example.
Conclusion
As these Chicago style essay examples demonstrate, the format allows for in-depth analysis across various fields of research from history to literature to public policy. Whether used for academic papers, magazine articles, or other long-form writing, the Chicago style emphasizes substantive content supported by thorough citations to credible sources. Minor variations exist within specific reference list layout, but the overall framework of footnotes, title levels, and a consistently formatted list of works cited provides structure and attribution valuable for many types of scholarly essays and reports. Mastering Chicago style conventions serves writers well across many disciplines and subjects.
Andrew Stroud