Writing Your Thesis Statement Ye olde student struggles to begin her thesis

Thesis Statement What is it? For most student work, it's a one or two sentence statement that explicitly outlines the purpose or point of your paper. It is generally a complex, compound sentence What does it do? It should point toward the development or course of argument the reader can expect your argument to take Where does it go? Because the rest of the paper will support or back up your thesis, a thesis is normally placed at or near the end of the introductory paragraph.

What does it contain? The thesis sentence must contain an arguable point. A thesis sentence must not simply make an observation -- for example, "Writer X seems in his novel Y to be obsessed with lipstick." Rather, it must assert a point that is arguable: “Writer X uses lipstick to point to his novel's larger theme: the masking and unmasking of the self."

What it determines The thesis sentence must control the entire argument. Your thesis sentence determines what you are required to say in a paper; it also determines what you cannot say. Every paragraph in your paper exists in order to support your thesis. Accordingly, if one of your paragraphs seems irrelevant to your thesis you have two choices: get rid of the paragraph, or rewrite your thesis.

It provides structure for your paper The thesis sentence should provide a structure for your argument. A good thesis not only signals to the reader what your argument is, but how your argument will be presented. –your thesis sentence should either directly or indirectly suggest the structure of your argument to your reader. Say, for example, that you are going to argue that "Writer X explores the masking and unmasking of the self in three curious ways: A, B, and C.” –In this case, the reader understands that you are going to have three important points to cover, and that these points will appear in a certain order.

More Attributes It argues one main point and doesn't squeeze three different theses for three different papers into one sentence; And most importantly, it passes The "So What?" Test. –You might state, “Many people in the world are victims of stereotyping.” While this may be a true statement, as a reader, I would ask, “so what?” What is so important or problematic about the fact that people are stereotyped? What more can you add to your conclusion or argument to make it more interesting and more complex? –A better thesis statement might be something like this: “Prejudgments are harmful because they limit the lives of the stereotyped individual and the person doing the stereotyping.”

Writing the Perfect Thesis: An Equation TITLE OF THE TEXT (properly underlined if it is a novel) LITERARY DEVICE (used to focus your essay so it is not too broad) SPECIFIC ASSERTION (creates an entry point for your readers; the “so what?”) + + = The perfect thesis! It does not matter what order these elements go in, as long as they are included

For example Arthur Miller's classic, The Crucible, demonstrates the fight between good and evil through his use of well-crafted characters. Title of text Literary device - characterization So what?- he uses characters to demonstrate good and evil

Modify this equation for other subjects Despite the adversity European settlers bestowed on Cheyenne Indians, the tribe fought valiantly to preserve their honor and dignity. Subject (instead of title) So what?- Cheyenne Indians persevered to preserve their way of life

Essay Prompt Write a thorough and convincing essay regarding Masters’ use of the theme “appearances vs. reality”. You should choose 3 characters that best exemplify this theme and provide an analysis of each, making sure to tie them to the theme. In order to receive full credit, your essay should be well developed (minimum 5 paragraphs, clear thesis, etc.) Specific examples from the novel should be used to support your ideas.

This class period Craft your thesis Choose the epitaphs you will reference in your essay You may use the back of your rubric to write an outline, your thesis, or specific page numbers –You may NOT pre-write your essay on the back of your rubric SEE ME if you are struggling or are unclear about your task