In his article "The Loss of the Creature", Walker Percy introduces the concept of a "sovereign experience" as occurring when one confronts something unknown. The writer will explore this concept through examining Percy's labeling of such experiences alongside the writer's grandmother's experience seeing the ocean for the first time. However, the writer argues that by creating the label of "sovereign experience", Percy undermines the very ability for an experience to exist beyond description.

1. Writing a “Roadmap” Intro:
Give it a go for Draft 2!

2. Take a look:

3. Pages 3 and 4:

4. Pages 5 and 6:

5. Strengths:
Well-proven, well-
developed argument
Clear and credible
voice
Compelling
evidence, especially
the grandmother’s
story
Really interesting
use of Percy

6. Strengths: Weaknesses:
Well-proven, well- “Surprise” argument
developed argument Unexpected twists
Clear and credible and turns
voice Not enough
Compelling introduction
evidence, especially
the grandmother’s
story
Really interesting
use of Percy

7. A “Roadmap” Intro:
Hooks the reader in
Announces the topic
Lays out the structure of the paper, “turn” by
“turn”
Gives a full and detailed statement of the paper’s
central claim

8. Where does the
paper “turn”?

9. The current intro

10. Turn 1: Laying Out Percy

11. Turn 2: Grandmother’s Experience

13. Turn 3: Synthesis (Comparing Grandma and Percy)

14. Turn 4: The curve ball! Something is wrong!

15. Note: the definition of a “turn” is subjective

16. The Conclusion

17. Building the “Roadmap”
• Track down the “turns” in your paper
• List out the central topic inside of each “turn”
• Write this list out as a sentence or a series of
sentences
• Finish with a clear and specific statement of
claim (or “thesis,” or “argument”)

18. Our writer’s “map”:
• Sovereign experiences occur when a sovereign
knower “confronts” a thing to be known.
• By Percy’s definition, my grandmother’s
discovery of the ocean can be considered
“sovereign.”
• (Connection between Percy and Grandma)
• There is a problem with Percy’s label of
“sovereign experience.”
• By creating the label of “sovereign experience,”
Percy ruins the ability for an experience to be
truly beyond description.

19. Expanding our writer’s intro:
In his article “The Loss of the Creature,” writer Walker
Percy pulls his readers into a thought process of mind-
blowing proportions. He makes his readers step back and
take a serious look at themselves and how they look at the
world. In so doing, he coins the term “sovereign experience”.
According to Percy, such an experience occurs “when
sovereign knower confronts the thing to be known”. But who
is the sovereign knower? What does Percy mean by his use
of the word “confront”? And what is this “thing to be
known”?

20. Expanding our writer’s intro:
In his article “The Loss of the Creature,” writer Walker
Percy pulls his readers into a thought process of mind-blowing
proportions. He makes his readers step back and take a serious
look at themselves and how they look at the world. In so doing,
he coins the term “sovereign experience”. According to Percy,
such an experience occurs “when sovereign knower confronts
the thing to be known”. But who is the sovereign knower?
What does Percy mean by his use of the word “confront”? And
what is this “thing to be known”? When my grandmother was a
young child, her first sight of the ocean was one of these
“sovereign experiences”: it was a true confrontation, and the
sight of it went beyond words. However, as I think about her
experience and Percy’s ideas, I realize that something is terribly
wrong. By creating the label of “sovereign experience,” Percy
ruins the ability for an experience to be truly beyond description.

21. Expanding our writer’s intro:
In his article “The Loss of the Creature,” writer Walker
Percy pulls his readers into a thought process of mind-blowing Turn 1:
proportions. He makes his readers step back and take a serious
look at themselves and how they look at the world. In so doing,
he coins the term “sovereign experience”. According to Percy,
such an experience occurs “when sovereign knower confronts
the thing to be known”. But who is the sovereign knower?
What does Percy mean by his use of the word “confront”? And
what is this “thing to be known”? When my grandmother was a
young child, her first sight of the ocean was one of these
“sovereign experiences”: it was a true confrontation, and the
sight of it went beyond words. However, as I think about her
experience and Percy’s ideas, I realize that something is terribly
wrong. By creating the label of “sovereign experience,” Percy
ruins the ability for an experience to be truly beyond description.

22. Expanding our writer’s intro:
In his article “The Loss of the Creature,” writer Walker
Percy pulls his readers into a thought process of mind-blowing
proportions. He makes his readers step back and take a serious
look at themselves and how they look at the world. In so doing,
he coins the term “sovereign experience”. According to Percy, Turns 2
such an experience occurs “when sovereign knower confronts and 3:
the thing to be known”. But who is the sovereign knower?
What does Percy mean by his use of the word “confront”? And
what is this “thing to be known”? When my grandmother was a
young child, her first sight of the ocean was one of these
“sovereign experiences”: it was a true confrontation, and the
sight of it went beyond words. However, as I think about her
experience and Percy’s ideas, I realize that something is terribly
wrong. By creating the label of “sovereign experience,” Percy
ruins the ability for an experience to be truly beyond description.

23. Expanding our writer’s intro:
In his article “The Loss of the Creature,” writer Walker
Percy pulls his readers into a thought process of mind-blowing
proportions. He makes his readers step back and take a serious
look at themselves and how they look at the world. In so doing,
he coins the term “sovereign experience”. According to Percy,
such an experience occurs “when sovereign knower confronts
the thing to be known”. But who is the sovereign knower? Final
What does Percy mean by his use of the word “confront”? And
what is this “thing to be known”? When my grandmother was a turn /
young child, her first sight of the ocean was one of these claim:
“sovereign experiences”: it was a true confrontation, and the
sight of it went beyond words. However, as I think about her
experience and Percy’s ideas, I realize that something is terribly
wrong. By creating the label of “sovereign experience,” Percy
ruins the ability for an experience to be truly beyond description.