Thesis Statement Checklist: Do I answer the question? Re-reading the question prompt after constructing a working thesis can help you fix an argument that misses the focus of the question. Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose?If your thesis simply states facts that no one would, or even could, disagree with, it’s possible that you are simply providing a summary, rather than making an argument. Is my thesis statement specific enough? Thesis statements that are too vague often do not have a strong argument. If your thesis contains words like “good” or “successful,” see if you could be more specific: why is something “good”; what specificallymakes something “successful”? Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? If a reader’s first response is, “So what?” then you need to clarify, to forge a relationship, or to connect to a larger issue.

Writing your thesis statement Your thesis for this essay will be the answer to the following question: How does your character change throughout Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets to the Universe and what causes this change?

Not there yet… Ari goes from being a lonely person to becoming more social and friendly after he meets Dante.

Better! Ari goes from being a lonely person to becoming more social and friendly after he meets Dante. Through his friendship with Dante, Ari becomes more social and outgoing, which dissolves the loneliness that cut off his relationship with his family and allows Ari to become fully himself.

Your turn… draft your thesis statement! When finished, use the thesis statement checklist to help you.

Hook Strategies

A hook should...  Introduce the topic of your essay without mentioning the piece of literature your essay is about—that comes later.  Excite the reader.  Encourage the reader to keep reading.

Antz Trailer

Thesis Statement: As seen in nature and the movie Antz, freedom is not just about doing whatever you want, it is about making choices that support you and those around you. In order to make the reader care about this thesis statement, we need to lead into it using a hook. Possibilities include: a simile or metaphor, a relevant quotation from an outside source, or a connection to the real world.

Simile or Metaphor Searching for freedom is like looking for an oasis in the desert, it is a difficult journey, but the end result is rewarding and refreshing.

Quotation (not from the piece of literature you’re writing about) In a 1925 address at Faneuil Hall in Boston, Charles Evans Hughes said, “When we lose the right to be different, we lose the privilege to be free.”

Interesting Fact “Today, in the United States, people of all types are still fighting to be free. Many are fighting for free speech, access to resources, and even the right to marry.”

A (very) Short Introduction Searching for freedom is like looking for an oasis in the desert: it is a difficult journey, but the end result is rewarding and refreshing. As seen in nature and the movie Antz, freedom is not just about doing whatever you want, it is about making choices that support you and those around you. Notice there are three parts: -The hook -Connecting sentence(s) or phrase -The thesis statement