Thesis The thesis is the brain of your essay. Everything in the essay must somehow develop or support the brain — the thesis.

How is a thesis essay similar to your body ’ s immune system?

The body of the essay rejects and expels anything that does not support the thesis.

For example, suppose our thesis claimed this: As a breed, golden retrievers make excellent pets for children.

A discussion of how golden retrievers play with rabbits would be inappropriate in this essay unless it somehow helps to prove that golden retrievers make excellent pets for children.

Anything that does not develop or support the singular focus of the thesis should be expelled from the body of the essay. Golden retrievers play with rabbits. Thesis: As a breed, golden retrievers make excellent pets for children.

How is an archer ’ s aim similar to a writer ’ s aim?

An archer aims to hit the bull ’ s eye of a target.

A writer also aims to hit the bull ’ s eye of a target. The writer aims to prove that the thesis is true.

A good thesis aims the essay in a singular direction by making a clear and precise claim: Avatar deserves to win The Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences Best Picture Award for 2010.

Divided Thesis A divided thesis is a special type of thesis. Similar to all good thesis sentences, a divided thesis aims the essay in a single direction. Different from a basic thesis, a divided thesis makes more than one claim.

Example Divided Thesis

The thesis needs to send the essay in a single direction. If the claims aren’t integrated, the essay will fly in numerous directions--and the essay will disintegrate.

One excellent way to integrate claims is to use a subordinate conjunction. Some common subordinate conjunctions: because in that due to since owing to on account of

What do subordinate conjunctions do?

Subordinate conjunctions make the claims that follow them bow down. This makes them less important than the Master Claim.

By using a subordinate conjunction, the divided thesis makes it clear which one claim is the Master Claim and which claims are sub- claims.

The subordinate conjunction makes the sub-claims yield to the Master Claim.

The word “because” subordinates the ideas that follow it. As a result, the dominate claim-- the Master Claim becomes clear.

What are the similarities and differences between Example One and Example Two? Example One: Avatar deserves to win The Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences Best Picture Award for 2010 because it demonstrates cutting-edge stereoscopic 3d graphics, and it offers extraordinary, primitive costuming. Example Two: Because it demonstrates cutting-edge stereoscopic 3d graphics and it offers extraordinary primitive costuming, Avatar deserves to win The Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences Best Picture Award for 2010.

The Master Claim of a divided thesis must bridge the gap between/among the sub-claims so that the thesis remains unified.

A poorly-constructed thesis will lead the readers into the fog.

If the Master Claim fails to bridge the gap between/among its sub-claims, the essay will disintegrate.

Key Idea #1: The thesis is the brain of a thesis essay. Everything in the essay must somehow develop or support the brain — the thesis.

Key Idea #2: Anything that does not develop or support the thesis should be expelled from the body of the essay.

Key Idea #3: Similar to all good thesis sentences, a divided thesis has a clear and precise point of view--which sends the essay in a single direction.

Key Idea #4: A divided thesis is a special kind of thesis sentence: It introduces several claims. Of these several claims, only one stands supreme over them all--the Master Claim.

Key Idea #5: The Master Claim of the thesis must bridge the gap between/among the sub-claims so that the essay does not disintegrate by flying off in different directions.

Key Idea #6: A writer can establish the Master Claim’s dominance over the sub- claims by using a subordinate conjunction to introduce the sub- claims.

The sub-claims need to work together to support the Master Claim. All the claims in a divided thesis should send the essay in a single direction.

The claims of the divided thesis must work together as a unified whole so that the essay does not disintegrate.

Concentrated Energy Disintegrated Energy

Seek this…. not this.

Concentrated Energy or Disintegrated Energy? Thesis: Many students at MGSH say they want to live an environmentally-friendly lifestyle, but they throw away hundreds of empty plastic water bottles each day.

Concentrated Energy or Disintegrated Energy? Thesis: Many new college graduates are looking for work, but many Baby Boomers are reluctant to retire because ever-rising insurance premiums are forcing them to continue to work.

Concentrated Energy or Disintegrated Energy? Thesis: In the 1970’s The United States struggled to remove itself from the war in Vietnam, and now it finds itself struggling to remove itself from the war in Iraq.

Concentrated Energy or Disintegrated Energy? Thesis: School District 279 finds itself in serious financial trouble because the state has been unwilling to increase school aid, and this school district’s voters have rejected the last two school levies.

Concentrated Energy or Disintegrated Energy? Thesis: Char-broiled hamburgers are a MGSH student-lunch favorite, but the number of MGSH students buying salad lunches is diminishing.