Creating a Thesis Statement Tips and Examples for Writing Thesis Statements

Tips for writing your Thesis Statement 1.Determine what kind of paper you are writing:  Formalist – reading of a text focuses on symbol, metaphor, imagery, and so on.  Historical – examines a text in relation to its historical or cultural backdrop and effect on history or culture.  Psychological – a way to understand characters behaviors and actions  Feminist – a way to balance out the under-representation of literary works written by female authors.  Marxist – answers the overarching question, whom does the work benefit? The elite? The middle class? And Marxists critics are also interested in how the lower or working classes are oppressed - in everyday life and in literature.  Reader Response – considers readers' reactions to literature as vital to interpreting the meaning of the text.

Tips for writing your Thesis Statement  Your thesis statement should be specific—it should cover only what you will discuss in your paper and should be supported with specific evidence.

Tips for writing your Thesis Statement  The thesis statement usually appears at the end of the first paragraph of a paper.

Tips for writing your Thesis Statement  Your topic may change as you write, so you may need to revise your thesis statement to reflect exactly what you have discussed in the paper.

Thesis Statement Examples Example of an Formalist thesis statement:  Formalist literary criticism can be applied to Huxley’s Brave New World to evaluate the use of symbols to reveal deeper meanings. The paper that follows should:  explain: - setting - symbolism - theme (cloning)

Thesis Statement Examples Example of a Historical thesis statement:  A historical examination of Huxley’s Brave New World depicts the author’s opinion of the future society. The paper that follows should:  explain the: - author’s background - the time period - the society and culture of time - the impact of then and now

Thesis Statement Examples Example of a Psychoanalytical thesis statement:  Freud’s study of the levels of consciousness can be used to explain the behaviors and actions of certain characters in Huxley’s Brave New World The paper that follows should:  present an argument and give evidence to support the claim of human behavior and characters actions.

Thesis Statement Examples Example of a Feminist thesis statement:  Feminist fears are highlighted in Huxley’s Brave New World as seen through the diminished role of the birth mother. The paper that follows should:  present an argument and give evidence to support: - the role of the birth mother - impact of Linda’s life - the role of sex

Thesis Statement Examples Example of a Marxist thesis statement:  Huxley’s Brave New World effectively aligns with Marxist theory through its attribution to the breakdown of society as a result of government control. The paper that follows should:  present an argument and give evidence to support the claim of Marxist control over society’s stability and happiness

Thesis Statement Examples Example of a Reader Response thesis statement:  Though Huxley’s Brave New World contains an exaggerated viewpoint of the future, it effectively warns the general public to fear too much government control. The paper that follows should:  present an argument and give evidence to support: - personal commentary - use of other reviews - evaluation of effectiveness