Sample Essay: Batman v. Superman The essay below follows the example we discussed in class. Each of the pieces has been labeled with the example behind it. You can read each piece individually or the essay as a whole to see how everything fits together to create a quality persuasive essay.

(Hook) We all have our heroes. They are people we look up to and who we

most want to be. (Exposition) Most of the time, these are real people like our

parents or our teachers, people we model our own behavior on because we want

to be the best person we can be. Our culture is full of imagined heroes, as well.

They are the characters, with the best traits of human beings, we watch on

television and movies and look up to. Two such examples are the comic-book

heroes Superman and Batman. These heroes are not all created equal, though.

(Thesis) Batman is a much better example of a hero than Superman because he is

a more realistic character, his origins are more admirable, and his attitude is

more like an average person.

(Topic Sentence) Batman, though a character, is a very realistic figure who

faces troubles like anyone. (Support) Bruce Wayne faced huge issues early in his

life with the loss of his parents, and they continue every night he fights evil. We

relate to Batman because we have all face challenges that we somehow

overcome. Though our own problems may not be as big, we are all like the Dark

Knight in some way, facing life’s obstacles and making the world better. He was

a normal man who faces problems and conquers them, becoming an

extraordinary hero. This makes Batman more realistic because he is so unlike

Superman, an alien whose powers are far beyond the reach of the average

person. Batman is the average Joe. (Clincher) However, Batman’s normalness is

not the only thing that makes him a better example of a hero and his origins play

another part in this.

(Topic Sentence) Batman, being a normal human being, obviously has no

superhuman powers. (Support) Unlike Superman, he cannot fly, he has no super

strength, he is not invulnerable to harm, but he does the same job. He is able to

do this because he worked hard for his skills and abilities and this makes Batman

more of a role model. We are always told by our parents that to get what we

want, we need to work hard. Through hard work we make a better life for

ourselves and our families and we make the world as a whole a better place.

(Clincher) Having a good work ethic is important and Batman, being an example of

hard worker, is a role model that we can and should all follow.

(Topic Sentences) Batman’s hard work is not the only thing that makes him a

better example of a hero than Superman. Another quality that Batman has is his

flawed personality. (Support) While some of us like to think of heroes as perfect,

there is such a thing as too perfect. Superman, for example, tells no lies, always

does what is “good”, and is generally flawless. All of us have, at one time or

another, told a little white lie to keep from hurting someone else’s feelings or

done something wrong for a cause we knew was right. (Clincher) This is what

Batman is willing to do and this makes him a better example of a hero than the

perfection of Superman.

(Re-Thesis) Though Superman is a good hero, because of Batman’s

realistic character, his admirable work ethic, and his more “human” attitude, he is

a much better example of a hero. (Summary) Batman is recognizable to most

everyone in America because of his daring adventures and his brave action in

making Gotham City a better place for its citizens to live. (Closer) Because of the

connection we have with this normal person taking extraordinary actions to make

the world better, we all have to admit that Batman is a true hero worth looking up

to.