1. Thesis Statements Advanced Placement Literature

2. Basic Parts Topic---includes--- empowering the author, gives recognition to his work Claim---strong verb---must be arguable Directions---major points made in the essay Universal Idea---concept which goes beyond the text

3. Directions Usually 3 or 4 concepts discussed in the paper Usually tells the “how do you know” to the prompt

4. Directions How do you know that the author characterizes Rachel as a young girl who is “coming of age”? Through the use of similes, juxtaposition of concepts and rhetoric, and indirect characterization.

5. Universal Idea Big Concept Referenced in the thesis, becomes a proof positive in the conclusion Your list(of Universal Ideas) is just a starting point.

6. Sample Thesis Contrasting a birthday party as the occasion of growing up to the harsh realities of the world, Sandra Cisneros in “Eleven” depicts Rachel through indirect characterization methods, similes, and the use of juxtaposition.

7. Sample Thesis Characterizing Rachel as an eleven year old, Cisneros in the short story “Eleven” uses similes, metaphor, and syntactical structures.

8. Sample Thesis Depicting the harsh reality of society’s expectations, Sandra Cisneros in her short story “Eleven”, characterizes Rachel, her protagonist through the use of imagery, similes, and repetition.

9. Title Text