1. Thesis Statement Writing Creating Rhetorical Tension

2. According to Allyn and Bacon (2006), thesis writing is somewhat like an equation: “Whereas most people believe X, this paper asserts Y” (p. 36). X is a public claim. Y is your position to the public claim/s.

3. Example X = In Red: Passion and Patience in the Desert, Terry Tempest Williams (2005) claims that the language of desire, red, is equal to passion, destruction, and transformation. This is Williams’ rhetorical claim.

4. Example cont. Y = While I agree that the language of desire is transformative, Williams’ is writing from a feminist perspective that does not take into account... Point A, Point B and Point C. In my paper, I will talk about Williams’ view so that the reader understands it, then contrast it with my own view (or set of assertions).

5. My Thesis Example... Although Terry Tempest Williams writes of the transformative power of red, or in other words, the transformative power of language through desire, her account of transformation follows a feminist lens that does not take into account ……. Point A, Point B, or Point C. In this paper, I will argue...

6. A Surprise Thesis with Tension A good thesis always has an element of surprise and tension (Allyn & Bacon, 2006). For Allyn and Bacon (2006), tension is a sensation; a reader tangibly feels a pull away from familiar ideas into opposing ones.

7. Tension allows choice. It is an ideological space. Your goal in rhetoric is to create this tension for your readers.

8. To create tension, use the words: ALTHOUGHWHEREASDESPITE

9. The Equation Although X, I will argue Y. Whereas some people believe A, B, and/or C, I will argue A, B, and/or Y and Z. Despite the fact that X is rarely questioned in society, in this paper, I will assert X, Y and Z.

10. Example 1 Within transcendentalism, Emerson and Poe differed markedly in their views. Example 2 Although Emersonian Transcendentalism served as a general spirituality that surpassed Calvinist principles, the work of Poe represented a darker side of transcendentalism that changed the way we think of death through Calvinistic terms.

11. Example 2 Example 1 Emily Dickinson is noted for shaping a unique poetic tradition within American Romanticism. Example 2 Whereas Emily Dickinson is generally considered a Romantic poet, her views of death are underrepresented in shaping the darker side of American Transcendentalism.

12. Example 3 Example 1 The river in Huck Finn’s journey toward selfhood is symbolic of freedom from the society that intended to “sivilize” (Twain, 1988, p.1) him. Example 2 Despite the freedom that Huck Finn and Jim find on the river, the Mississippi also symbolizes the danger Huck and Jim face in forging a morality of freedom apart from the values of an American society based on the wealth and degradation of slavery.

13. Assignment As a group (based on your Romanticism/Transcendentalism Projects), write three thesis examples (based on your group focus). Prepare to select one as a whiteboard discussion example with the class.