Write an essay plan for a 5 paragraph essay that asks to discuss the theme loss of innocence in the story "Her First Ball.""Her First Ball" by...

Your essay plan needs to consider what about the
theme of loss of innocence you want to write about.  That will become your
thesis statement.  Next you will need to decide what details and quotes from the story
support your thesis.  Those will become the basis of the body paragraphs of the
essay.

One possible thesis could be to argue that a loss of
innocence isn't necessarily a bad thing, and it doesn't have to completely overtake the
nature of a person.

Your body paragraphs could analyze
examples of Leila's innocent response to the experience of the whole dance experience. 
You could break these down chronologically:  the preparations for and travel to the
dance, and then the early part of the dance.  You should comment on her reactions to the
people, the place, the atmosphere, her Sheridan cousin's, other dance guests, etc. How
do her reactions suggest her youth innocence and
naivete? 

You need to have one paragraph analyzing the
affect of the older heavy-set man who dances with her and makes the fateful comments
about the fact that she will be old one day and will be chaperoning instead of dancing. 
This represents the loss of innocence.  The dance, for those minutes, has lost its
magical quality.

You must include a paragraph analyzing the
difference between the aforementioned dance with the fat man to the next dance with the
young handsome man where she seems to regain the youthful joy of the dance, thus proving
that the loss of innocence isn't a permanent mark of misery -- it is merely a fact of
life.  Perhaps a fact that will make her enjoy and appreciate her life as it is right
now because times will bring change to her.