Writing a Thesis Statement

The method to successful literary analysis

Author (Who wrote the darn thing)

Work (Type & Genre) Topic (Theme, Biography, Psychology, etc.)

Purpose/Significance (What you are trying to prove)

Parts of a Thesis Statement

William Shakespeare Macbeth (tragedy, play, etc.) Theme (Fate versus Free Will, etc.)

Purpose (in order to demonstrate…)

Apply this to Macbeth:

To discover the purpose, ask yourself this question: With regard to my topic, what point was

Shakespeare trying to convey to his audience?

Example: Fate – vs – Free Will Based upon my understanding of the play, what

statement was Shakespeare trying to make with regard to man’s ability to control his own fate?

Discovering the Purpose

William Shakespeare in his tragedy Macbeth uses various symbols to highlight how the title character controls his own destiny in order to demonstrate to the audience that free will dictates the course of human existence.

Example Thesis

William Shakespeare in his tragedy Macbeth uses various symbols to highlight how the title character controls his own destiny in order to demonstrate to the audience that free will dictates the course of human existence.

Author

William Shakespeare in his tragedy Macbeth uses various symbols to highlight how the title character controls his own destiny in order to demonstrate to the audience that free will dictates the course of human existence.

Work/Genre

William Shakespeare in his tragedy Macbeth uses various symbols to highlight how the title character controls his own destiny in order to demonstrate to the audience that free will dictates the course of human existence.

Topic

William Shakespeare in his tragedy Macbeth uses various symbols to highlight how the title character controls his own destiny in order to demonstrate to the audience that free will dictates the course of human existence.

Purpose

_________________ in his ________________ (author) (work,

genre/type)

examines the theme of _______________ (topic)

in order to demonstrate the importance of __________________________.

(purpose)

Fill in the Blank Formula

In the play Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, Hamlet experiences internal conflict because he is in love with his mother.

In the short story “Hills Like White Elephants,” by Ernest Hemingway, the hills represent a pregnant woman who does not want to keep her baby.

Examples (without the purpose)

Thesis statements must make a reader stop and consider the

topic are short and succinct, strong, simple yet

sophisticated by nature, will make people wonder and argue

about its correctness and value

The “what???” factor

A theme, at this level of literary study, should not be one word; “love” is not a theme. It is a topic.

A theme should be composed in one of two ways: A versus statement (each side opposes the

other) A subject/verb statement

Writing about themes

appearance versus reality man versus nature black versus white love versus lust honesty versus deception

Examples of versus statement themes

• How one appears is not necessarily how he is in reality.

No matter how much humans think they have control over themselves and others, nature’s power almost always trumps humanity’s.

The belief that white men are more valuable than blacks is prevalent in Southern literature.

The love the character feels for his wife is more important than the lust that occupies his mind.

Examples of subject/verb statement themes

They cannot simply be a statement of fact. They DO NOT include the three main points

that will prove that the thesis is correct and worthy.

Make sure it is only ONE sentence.

Things to Remember While Writing Thesis Statements

Does your thesis statement respond directly to your thesis question?

Does your thesis contain a definite statement?

Is your thesis an arguable claim? Does your thesis show you have knowledge

about your topic?

Checklist to consider while writing thesis statements

Does your thesis illustrate a passionate perspective?

Is your statement neither too specific nor too broad?

Can you provide evidence to back up your thesis? (quotes from the text; research)

Checklist (cont.)

Brainstorm list/web of written words drawings/doodling talking combination of above idea generators.

Narrow the focus Draft a statement that is

interesting/controversial and includes all four parts (see earlier slide)

See Mr. Boell for approval and comments.

Approaches to Writing an Excellent Thesis Statement