1. Thesis A thesis is a point you will argue throughout a paper. A thesis may be an answer to a question posed about a work, that has no certain answer. Your thesis is a possible answer that you will argue.

2. How to choose a thesis What is a pattern or a problem? * A pattern can be the recurrence of certain kinds of imagery or events. Usually, repetition of particular aspects of a story (similar events in the plot, similar descriptions, even repetition of particular words, images, symbols, motifs). *A problem is when a piece of literature contains something perplexing and doesn’t give us a clear answer, but seems to invite us to interpret this problem. Recognize a pattern or identify a problem that you’d like to think about in more detail.

3. How to choose a thesis What makes a valid and interesting opinion? A good interpretation of fiction will: * avoid the obvious (in other words, it won’t argue a conclusion that most readers could reach on their own from a general knowledge of the story). * support its main points with strong evidence from the story. * use careful reasoning to explain how that evidence relates to the main points of the interpretation. Interpretations of fiction are often opinions, but not all opinions are equal.

4. Select a topic with a lot of evidence Persuasive papers rely on ample evidence. Having a lot of details to choose from can also make your paper easier to write. If you’re selecting from a number of possible topics, narrow down your list by identifying how much evidence or how many specific details you could use to investigate each potential issue.

5. Potential pitfalls to writing a good thesis Beware of absolutes you cannot prove. (Alexie uses more symbolism than any other writer.) Literary works never prove anything about the real world. Be specific. Never use first person in your thesis. (I would argue that…) Never phrase your thesis in the passive voice. (The fish was caught by the seagull. The seagull caught the fish. ) Never attribute your thesis to someone else. (Many people believe…) Beware the “alternative universe” thesis. (If people didn’t drink on the reservation…) Answer how or why questions, not who what when where.

6. The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven Take out your book and English Notebook Today we’ll discuss: “The Trial of Thomas Builds- The Fire.” and “A Good Story”

7. Start with a question: How does Alexie use television as a symbol? Then test your thesis by finding instances of where he uses television as a symbol, and build a case for your interpretation. Working thesis (possible answer): He uses it to represent the dominant paradigm or shared reality created by television.

8. Write out a working (possible) thesis Make an extended list of evidence: details that relate to your point. Include anything, anything, that might be useful. Then, select your best evidence. Refine your thesis. In other words, make your thesis fit your evidence – don’t try to make the evidence fit your thesis.

9. What a thesis statement looks like: The theme of the importance of present moment time is woven into many stories In The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, by Sherman Alexie. Write down your thesis statement for me when it’s ready, or send me an email. If you like, tell me what evidence you plan to use. By Friday. If you don’t let me know what it is, you run the risk of having to rewrite your entire literary analysis.

10. The thesis statement comes at the end of the introduction paragraph. What is time? Songwriter James Taylor wrote that “time isn’t really real.” The perception of time is a subject that arises numerous times in The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, by Sherman Alexie. The theme of the importance of present moment time is woven into many stories. P 1 - The skeleton metaphor in “A Drug Called Tradition” P 2 - The closing comments in “A Good Story.”

11. Which is the best thesis statement? Moby-Dick is about the problem of evil. Moby-Dick is boring and pointless. Moby-Dick is about a big, white whale. The use of “whiteness” in Moby- Dick illustrates the uncertainty about the meaning of life that Ishmael expresses throughout the novel.

12. Thesis Statement Examples In “Harrison Bergeron,” Vonnegut criticizes the government through the use of indirect characterization, irony, and external conflict. In Young Goodman Brown, Hawthorne uses light and darkness to emphasize good and evil in the world.

13. Thesis Statement Examples The theme of redemption is set at the outset of The Kite Runner, and weaves its way through Amir's two betrayals of Assef and his efforts to redeem himself in the rescue of Assef's son. In "The Lottery," readers believe that this is a lovely little village, following a quaint tradition, but after reading the shocking ending, the reader can think back and see that the setting, the characters, and the action of the story are all showing us that traditions can be horrifying and evil. In The Scarlet Letter, Pearl may appear to a living embodiment of Hester’s sin, but her ultimate fate suggests that she is an embodiment of true love, and that her flaws are caused only by her father’s refusal to claim her.

14. Arguable Thesis Observation from the Evidence Commentary +