Position of the Thesis Statement
In the essay titled “The War on Drugs vs. the Opioid Crisis,” Quintrione Dunlap has placed his thesis statement in the last sentence of the second paragraph. The thesis statement states, “The victims of the opioid crisis are being treated better than past victims of the war on drugs because of the demographics that it affects” (Dunlap 383). His decision was informed by the need to create a strong background for the thesis statement, which could not be captured in a single introductory paragraph. Ostensibly, the essay does not include a counterargument, but the author still conveys his argument succinctly.
Importance of Incorporating an Interview
The incorporation of an interview in scholarly writing serves as the basis of credibility, as they are a primary source of information. Dunlap weaves interviews responses to the essay to show the Americans’ perspectives on the authorities’ responses to the opioid crisis, although he opts to conceal the interviewees’ identities. As in the case of Dunlap’s work, it is apparent that the use of interviews in essays is recommended, as it makes the argument stronger and the work more credible.
Incorporation of Block Quote
Dunlap has incorporated two long quotes in the essay to support his argument. Long quotes, also called block quotes, are introduced on an independent line, detached from the main text, entirely indented as a block by ½ inch, and citation added at the end of the verbatim (Harris 56). The quotes support Dunlap’s arguments in the two subsequent paragraphs by showing what authorities and Americans think about the opinion crisis.
Comments on the Conclusion
Dunlap’s conclusion is effective because the author has reiterated his main argument and included supporting points, although he has incorporated new information in it. It would have been much better had he used a signal phrase to mark the start of the concluding paragraph. However, anyone reading the conclusion easily understands the author’s message without necessarily reading the entire text.
Works Cited
Dunlap, Quintrione. “The War on Drugs vs the Opioid Crisis.” 29 March 2017. Sharon Sellers First-Year Writing Award for 1102, pp. 383-389.
Harris, Robert A. Using Sources Effectively: Strengthening Your Writing and Avoiding Plagiarism. Taylor & Francis, 2017.