12.7: Writing Synthesis Essays

When you synthesize sources, you bring them together to examine the point that can be made or supported by different texts. You might also compare two texts that disagree and come to a conclusion after weighing both of their arguments. Both of these tactics would be categorized as synthesis because you are bringing together multiple sources to make a point.

When writing a synthesis, you will first want to look back through your reading and consider

• Do the sources speak to a similar topic?
• Do they make similar or differing points about the topic?
• How do the sources agree with each other?
• How do the sources disagree with each other?
• Does one source work as an example of another?
• Does one source show a cause and another an effect?

Steps to Planning a Synthesis

1) Begin by considering the overall purpose of the paper. You might not know your complete thesis yet but consider what topic your thesis will focus on. For example, if you know you want to write about education, you don't have to know exactly what your point about education is as you start; instead complete the next two steps to help find your point.

2) Become familiar with your sources. Read through your sources and take notes, making an organized list of connections between the sources, especially regarding their points or observations about your topic. This could include points where the sources agree or disagree, but you might also look for more nuanced connections as well.

For example, here is a list brainstormed by a student over connections between Plato and Douglass, both included in Part II of this book.

• Both are systemically limited in their ability to gain knowledge
• Both individually work to find avenues to an education
• Both see effects of their education, though one is positive and the other is negative

3) Brainstorm to find connections. This could include completing a structured organizer or starting a free write to get your ideas flowing. You might also consider writing over each of the sources separately (writing a summary or a journal response) before you bring the sources together. Below is an example organizer that corresponds to the list above.

Criteria	Douglass	Plato	Takeaways
Limited Knowledge before "awakening"	Kept in a figurative cave Kept from knowledge by the system of slavery that worked to keep him in ignorance	Kept in literal a cave Kept from knowledge and fooled by people with puppets	Both are kept in ignorance by a system that is threatened by their knowledge
Process of learning	Learns from the world around him: children, newspapers, lumber, etc.
Effects of learning

You will notice that the organizer above is only partially completed. Be sure to fill in at least two ideas for each criteria for each source, so that you have enough information to develop your paper.

4) Pick an organizational scheme. There are essentially two methods for organizing a comparison: point by point and block (subject by subject). Consider using these tactics or merging them within your synthesis. You might start out with a block organization, for example, as you summarize and introduce the sources, and then switch to a point by point structure when comparing the sources’ points and evidence. On the next page, you can find two simplified outlines that illustrate point-by-point and block organization.

Point-by-Point Organization	Block (Subject-by-Subject)
Intro BP1:State of the person A. Plato-- chained in a cave B. Douglass--Enslaved person BP2: Process of learning A. Plato-- he learns from the world around him B. Douglass--Takes advantage of the world around him BP3: Effects A. Plato-- he no longer fits in B. Douglass--He realizes the depths of slavery and wishes himself dead Conclusion	Intro BP1: Plato A. The learning process B. The effects of the learning process BP2: Douglass A. The learning process B. The effects of the learning process BP3: Analysis A. They are both impacted negatively B. They don't fit in anymore and are isolated Conclusion

5) Interpret each source and show the relationship between your sources and your thesis in your paper. Consider making a chart that shows how the sources compare on each point and how they "talk" to each other with their assertions and evidence, as shown above. A detailed organizer like the previous example will help you keep your paper organized and detail-oriented.

6) Now, you are ready to begin to refine your thesis, make your outline more detailed, and start typing or writing.

Synthesis Student Example

The following excerpt from a student synthesis essay covers the narratives discussed in the preceding graphic organizers—read through the excerpt carefully and consider how the student takes ideas from both essays to form a single cohesive argument.

The process these men experienced opened their eyes to what needed to be done to help them better themselves and to stay out of trouble. Douglass sought out his education through poor little white boys. He would challenge them into competitions of reading and they would retaliate because no one wanted to be beaten by a young black slave. These poor young boys also were fed bread for persuasion to help Douglass; “This bread I used to bestow upon the hungry little urchins, who, in return, would give me that more valuable bread of knowledge” (405). This was a risk for Douglass since if you were caught trying to learn more than what was given or to run away there was a reward to be collected by the whites. The errands Douglass would run for the mistress finally paid off: “I had finally succeeded in learning to read” (404). In a way, Douglass knew that to free slavery he had to learn to write as well, so from there on out that was his mission. “It opened my eyes to the horrible pit, but to no ladder upon which to get out” (405). Douglass eventually made his way to the shipyard where he would trace timber from ships coded with letters. He could only use little resources for copying paper; board fence, brick wall, and the pavement. Douglass would find people who knew how to write and say he knew how to write better than the other kids; this again turned into an enlightening lesson for Douglass. All Douglass did after that was copy his master’s copying books after he brought them home from school until he could do it without tracing. After years of doing this, Douglass learned how to write. Years is a very long time for someone being beat every day physically and mentally. Malcolm X was quite comparable in learning to write as Douglass. After X was sentenced to prison he never could express how he felt in his letters to people he cared about because he couldn’t write simple English. “I’d written words that I never knew were in the world” (438). X started memorizing the definitions of words along with the pictures the dictionary provided. Soon X could start reading books and understanding the story. This turned into an obsession for X, reading wherever and whenever he could. “If I was not reading in the library, I was reading on my bunk’ (438). X eventually started to read and comprehend history throughout time.

The outcome of the encounters and affliction these men experienced paid off in the end. Douglass ultimately got everything he wanted, freedom. He started working to annihilate slavery by promoting it in Massachusetts, helped influence President Lincoln to put black troops in the war and to emancipate slaves, and held government posts. With all the accomplishments he earned enough money to buy his freedom forever. X, however, after prison he began to be a spokesman for numerous organizations. This involved Black Muslim Movement and his own organization Afro-American Unity. X was murdered for trying to bring races and cultures together.

See this page on the basics of synthesizing for more help understanding the concept.