 It declares what you intend to prove.  Not a simple retelling of facts (i.e. a summary)  Must be clear, concise and easy to identify  Provides focus for the paper & research

 A thesis…  Is never a question  Is not a list  Should not be vague, combative or confrontational  Should have a definable, arguable claim  Should be clear and specific

 A thesis statement relating to literature always has two parts: a what and a how.  What = What you are asserting the author intended to do  How = Your description of how the author did it.

In the 19 th century novel Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain criticizes the shallow optimism of Romanticism by presenting characters such as Tom, the Duke, and the Sheperdsons who are victims of their own dreams.

In the ground-breaking Harry Potter franchise, author J.K. Rowling creates a new type of Christian allegory by presenting Harry Potter as a Christ figure who must suffer in order to save others.

Arthur Miller uses his play The Death of a Salesman to explore the misguided absurdity of the American Dream by depicting Willy Loman’s vain descent into self-destruction and the consequent naïve adoration he receives from his son Happy.

In the ground-breaking Harry Potter franchise, author J.K. Rowling creates a new type of Christian allegory by presenting Harry Potter as a Christ figure who must suffer in order to save others. In the 19 th century novel Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain criticizes the shallow optimism of Romanticism by presenting characters such as Tom, the Duke, and the Sheperdsons who are victims of their own dreams.

Arthur Miller uses his play The Death of a Salesman to explore the misguided absurdity of the American Dream by depicting Willy Loman’s vain descent into self-destruction and the consequent naïve adoration he receives from his son Happy. In the ground-breaking Harry Potter franchise, author J.K. Rowling creates a new type of Christian allegory by presenting Harry Potter as a Christ figure who must suffer in order to save others. In the 19 th century novel Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain criticizes the shallow optimism of Romanticism by presenting characters such as Tom, the Duke, and the Sheperdsons who are victims of their own dreams.

 The word “by” separates the “what” and “how” of your thesis.  Likely, if you are not using the word “by,” you probably do not have both parts of the thesis in place.  There are few appropriate substitutes. “Through the use of” is one, but I strongly advise you to stick with the “by” formula.

Imagine you are asked the question, “What message about the world do the realist authors have?” Bad Thesis:  The realists say that life is grim. Better Thesis:  The realists revolt against romanticism in a grim depiction of life. Best Thesis:  The realists revolt against the imaginative elements of romanticism by writing short stories wherein the fantasies of characters do nothing to prevent their violent fates.