How do I write a powerful introduction and conclusion for an essay?

Help on introduction for essay on 'Of Mice and Men' :)?

• We are studying 'Of Mice and Men' at school and for my GCSE controlled assessment I have to write an essay on the book. I have chosen 'Power' as my subject for the essay and my title is 'Explore how John Steinbeck presents the power of dreams against the power of reality in the novel 'Of Mice and Men' ' I have written my essay so i am not 'asking you to do my homework for me' I am just really stuck on how to write an interesting introduction. The layout of my essay: Intro Paragraph 1: How the title of the novel suggests the failure of dreams Paragraph 2: The harsh reality of the 1930s and The american Dream Paragraph 3: George and Lennies Dream Paragraph 4: How the dream almost becomes reality when they meet Candy Paragraph 5: The power of reality at the end of the novel and destroyed dreams Conclusion This is how far I got with the intro: Without dreams and aspirations, life itself has no meaning. For what is the point of our existence if there is no motivation to achieve and improve in life? Many dreams are unreachable and impossible; for to have dreams that are going to be a possible success you have to face reality first, and that can be a daunting prospect.Reality and dreams are often very conflicting aspects of life and yet almost always interlock in everybody’s lives. Which one holds the most power on your life? Which one controls the other? John Steinbeck uses the conflict between dreams and reality as a major reoccurring theme in the novel ‘Of Mice and Men’. In this essay I am going to explore how John Steinbeck presents the power of dreams against the power of reality in the novel ‘Of Mice and Men’. I feel that it is very disjointed and would very much appreciate some help!! Thank you so much!! :)

• Answer:

  Write the intro last -- after you've written all the rest. Then revise the whole thing. BTW, It's "Lenny's dream" -- there aren't two Lennies, it's possessive. "Which one controls the other?" -- huh? Off that question.