English 1301 Thesis Writing

Essential Questions What question should a thesis answer? What is the purpose of a thesis? What language should I use to guide the wording of my thesis?

To Be or Not to Be—Is this a thesis? Willy uses his own death as a last ditch effort to attain this dream but before his death he would have never attained this dream. Is this a thesis? What are the issues with wording/syntax? What revisions are necessary in order to make this statement a thesis?

In Death of a Salesman, Arthur Miller portrays how Americans become overwhelmed by the generalized idea of the American Dream. Does the writer offer an argument? What revisions are necessary? Does the thesis need to be more specific?

Evaluate the thesis The way society is structured affects people’s daily lives, but it is also the way someone decides to handle the situation that ultimately alters them the most. Being alive is ignoring the greed and ignoring the constant chase for material things and focusing on what truly makes a person happy in their life.

Willy’s ego taints his success and his death ultimately reveals the pursuit to attain wealth as a higher importance than life with his family himself. Willy Loman strives to achieve this dream through his ambitious hard work, but ultimately fails to do so because it is an impossible goal to reach the generalized American Dream.

What is the prompt? Examine Willy Loman’s version of the American Dream, his attempts to attain it, and what his death reveals about the nature of the quest. Who is the author? What is the author’s argument regarding the American Dream? How does Willy’s story become a vehicle for that argument?

Remember….. Introduction should establish the context of the argument and lead to a specific assertion about the play. The conclusion allows you to make a judgment based on the thematic context. Avoid referring to other pieces of literature, your own experiences, etc. Focus on the play and the prompt.

Revisions All students are required to submit a revised intro paragraph with thesis to me tomorrow, Wednesday, November 6th. It is due at the beginning of class. Remember that the complete essay is due next week on block day. Your rough drafts will be graded largely on completeness.