The following paragraphs are examples of introductions to an essay on ZZ Packer's short story, "Drinking Coffee Elsewhere." They all start with something that happens in the text and lead up to essentially the same working thesis.

Example 1:

    ZZ Packer’s 2003 story “Drinking Coffee Elsewhere” opens with the protagonist telling her fellow students that if she could be any inanimate object, she would choose a revolver. Dina’s statement ensures her isolation from the incoming freshman class. It gives her the independence that she seeks but prevents her from developing friendships with those around her. As the story progresses, Dina’s _____ behavior, which she uses to define herself as _______, has the consequence of __________.

Example 2:

    In her first year at Yale, the protagonist of ZZ Packer’s 2003 story “Drinking Coffee Elsewhere” barricades herself in her room with a mound of ramen noodles. Unable to open up to her fellow students, she isolates herself in order not to be vulnerable to anyone. Her insistence on solitude enables her to develop the independence that she seeks but prevents her from developing friendships with those around her. As the story progresses, Dina’s _____ behavior, which she uses to define herself as _______, has the consequence of __________.

Example 3:

    ZZ Packer’s 2003 story “Drinking Coffee Elsewhere” begins with a play on the term “orientation.” The opening scene involves orientation games for the incoming freshman class at Yale. The games become a forum for the protagonist, Dina, to “orient” or define herself relative to the people around her. As the story progresses, Dina isolates herself from the rest of the student body because _______. Ultimately, Dina’s _____ behavior, which she uses to define herself as _______, has the consequence of __________.

Example 4:

    In the opening scene of ZZ Packer’s 2003 story “Drinking Coffee Elsewhere,” the narrator persistently describes what she sees through similes. She observes that a student praises answers in an orientation game as if he saw the game as an experiment; a counselor strokes his chin as if he were stroking a long beard; when she makes a statement that counters everyone’s expectations, the sun dims as if it were disappearing on cue. Her frequent comparisons show that she is trying to interpret her surroundings by fitting them into her own frame of reference. Likewise, as the story progresses, she tries to redefine herself by developing a new frame of reference. Yet her efforts at self-definition are hindered by _______. Ultimately, Dina’s _____ behavior, which she uses to define herself as _______, has the consequence of __________.