1. Aim: How to write a thesis? Ms. Fischer Advanced Placement English Standards: E2, E4

2. Getting Started: Understand the Assignment Your thesis paper will be based on our first thematic unit: The search for identity; perception in personal and literary contexts. Your thesis paper will be based on one of the three summer reading books: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, or In Cold Blood by Truman Capote.

3. The Search for Identity; Perception in Personal and Literary Contexts ~Every human faces the question of identity. Who are we? What is our self-definition and encompassing values, interests, dreams, and perceptions? This paper will address the vehicle with which authors pursue the search for identity using literary techniques such as point of view, tone, and style. ~ Two essential question you will want to address in the paper are: 1. Who and what shapes our identity? 2. If language shapes identity, how does it do so?

4. Analytical Writing This thesis paper may research and analyze a particular issue or problem– in this case the search for identity and personal perception in literature. As the writer you may choose to be a neutral observer more than an advocate for a particular position. The success of the paper is often based on how completely and clearly the writer has identified the key aspects of the issue and their significance to the field to which they relate.

5. Advocacy or Persuasive Writing This thesis paper may involve taking a stand on an issue and defending it against opposing points of view. The writer will research the issues and read others’ arguments for and against. The paper will anticipate and deflect arguments against the position, while presenting supporting evidence in favor of the position. Success will depend on how persuasively the paper makes its case and defends against possible opposition.

6. Brainstorming Thesis Ideas Start jotting down questions which interest you or ideas for possible thesis topics. Remember you are writing about the search for identity and personal perception in one of the three summer reading texts.

7. Thesis Questions & Ideas for The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath How does the restricted role of women in American society affect Esther’s mental health in the novel? How does The Bell Jar reflect upon Sylvia Plath’s own life experiences as a woman, a poet, a scholarship winner, and a person who struggles with depression? How do Esther’s experiences in New York and then in a mental hospital mirror the path toward maturity and understanding of Holden Caulfield in J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye? What commonalities do these two bildungsromans share?bildungsromans How do the themes in the novel relate to Esther’s (and Sylvia’s own) sense of alienation, search for identity, and generational conflict?

8. Bildungsroman A bildungsroman is a novel which traces the spiritual, moral, psychological, or social development and growth of the main character from (usually) childhood to maturity.

9. Thesis Questions & Ideas for In Cold Blood by Truman Capote How does Capote’s nonfiction novel act as an psychological study of the human condition? How does Capote’s style, tone, and narrative voice effect the telling of the murder story as well as establish the new genre of literature, “new journalism?”

10. Thesis Questions & Ideas for Brave New World by Adlous Huxley According to BNW, what is the relationship between truth and happiness? In what ways does Huxley’s novel present a dystopia despite the fact that most of the World State’s citizens believe themselves to be happy? How does John’s sense of his independence and individuality distinguish himself from everyone else in the book? Is John also conditioned by society, although his conditioning is different then that of the World State citizens? How does the caste system in BNW reflect on aspects our own contemporary society? What does this suggest about Huxley’s world view and thematic message about classicism, self-identity and government regimes? What thematic connections can be made between the world and individuals presented in BNW and the world and individuals presented in either George Orwell’s 1984 or Ayn Rand’s Anthem?

11. When choosing your topic… Consider your level of interest and knowledge in the topic. Consider how you can relate your topic to the thesis paper assignment (search for identity and personal perception). Consider the length of the thesis– will you have enough information for a five page paper? Remember, a narrow topic is often easier to manage and will allow you to further develop your analysis. Don’t bite off more than you can chew.

12. Constructing a Thesis Statement A well-written thesis statement, usually expressed in one sentence, is the most important sentence in your entire paper. It should both summarize for your reader the position you will be arguing and set up the pattern of organization you will use in your discussion. A thesis sentence is not a statement of accepted fact; it is the position that needs the proof you will provide in your argument. Your thesis should reflect the full scope of your argument– no more and no less; beware of writing a thesis statement that is too broad to be defended within the scope of your paper.