Thesis Statements (Or as I like to say, “What’s your point?”)

Analytical Thesis Statement An analytical paper breaks down a text(s) into its component parts, evaluates the data, and presents this breakdown and evaluation to the audience as an argument. In other words, “I believe this text is saying … and here’s how I know and here’s why you should believe it too.”

Analytical Thesis Statement Briefly introduce your topic. State your point of view on the topic directly and often in one sentence. This sentence is the thesis statement, and it serves as a summary of the argument you'll make in the rest of your paper.

A thesis statement… tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject matter under discussion.

A thesis statement… is a road map for the paper; in other words, it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper.

A thesis statement… directly answers the question asked of you. A thesis is an interpretation or analysis of a question or subject, not the subject itself. The subject, or topic, of an essay might be “The Fresh Prince” or Moby Dick; a thesis must then offer a way to understand the TV show or the novel.

A thesis statement… makes a claim that others might dispute. is usually a single sentence somewhere in your first paragraph that presents your argument to the reader. The rest of the paper, the body of the essay, gathers and organizes evidence that will persuade the reader of the logic of your interpretation.

How do I arrive at my thesis? A thesis is the result of a lengthy thinking process. Formulating a thesis is not the first thing you do after reading an essay assignment. Before you develop an argument on any topic, you have to collect and organize evidence, look for possible relationships between known facts (such as surprising contrasts or similarities), and think about the significance of these relationships.

How do I arrive at a thesis? Once you do this thinking, you will probably have a "working thesis," a basic or main idea, an argument that you think you can support with evidence but that may need adjustment along the way.

How do I know if my thesis is strong? Do I answer the question? In this case, the question is “what do YOU think your text(s) is saying and how is it saying it?”

How do I know if my thesis is strong? Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? If your thesis simply states facts that no one would, or even could, disagree with, it's possible that you are simply providing a summary, rather than making an argument.

How do I know if my thesis is strong? Is my thesis statement specific enough? Thesis statements that are too vague often do not have a strong argument. If your thesis contains words like "good" or "successful," see if you could be more specific: why is something "good"; what specifically makes something "successful"?

How do I know if my thesis is strong? Does my thesis pass the “so what?" test? If a reader's first response is “so what?" then you need to clarify, to forge a relationship, or to connect to a larger issue.

How do I know if my thesis is strong? Does my essay support my thesis specifically and without wandering? If your thesis and the body of your essay do not seem to go together, one of them has to change. It's OK to change your working thesis to reflect things you have figured out in the course of writing your paper. Remember, always reassess and revise your writing as necessary.

How do I know if my thesis is strong? Does my thesis pass the "how and why?" test? If a reader's first response is "how?" or "why?" your thesis may be too open-ended and lack guidance for the reader. See what you can add to give the reader a better take on your position right from the beginning.

For a critical literary analysis, your thesis statement will typically include the title(s) of the work(s) you will discuss in your paper and the author(s) of those works, as well as what it is that you will argue about those works. Critical Literary Analysis

Sample literary thesis statement In the characters of Daisy, Tom, and Gatsby himself, Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby depicts a corrupted version of the traditional American Dream.

Sample literary thesis statement Sinclair Lewis’ 1922 novel Babbitt relies upon the author’s use of satire to critique the ignorance, mediocrity and conformity of the American middle class.

Sample literary thesis statement Walt Whitman creates a body of democratic poetry through his simple depiction of the diverse American proletariat using vernacular language.

Writing a Thesis Statement I am writing about ______________________, and I am going to argue, show or prove ______________________.

Here is an example of a poor thesis "Holden Caulfield, of J.D Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye, is depressed." Actually, that is not a thesis, but rather a statement of fact. Anyone who spent a few minutes reading Catcher in the Rye would agree that Holden is depressed, so there is no debatable point or claim here.

Here is an example of a stronger thesis: "Holden Caulfield, of J.D Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye, is depressed because he fears the transition from childhood into adulthood." This claim requires some proof—some supporting evidence or explanation, and that is what makes this a debatable point.

Here is an even stronger thesis: "With the suicide of James Castle as seeming proof, Holden Caulfield, of J.D Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye, fears that he will not survive the transition from childhood into adulthood only to find that in by being a responsible adult figure for Phoebe he is able to live honestly in a corrupt world." This thesis lays out your essay into three sections (problem, response to problem, ultimate outcome)

Sometimes it helps to get the basic outline of your paper into the thesis itself: As a result of _______ a character realizes _______ and (does / becomes / changes / learns) _______. The author (creates/writes/uses) _______ (character/metaphor/analogy/motif/image) to illustrate _______ about the (theme/message) of the novel. The (character) struggles with _______ to illustrate/highlight _______. The characters begin the novel as _______ and become _______ to illustrate the author’s message that _______.

 Holden Caulfield, the main character of The Catcher in The Rye struggles with several realms throughout the novel- from alcohol and drug use to his dropping out of school, he cannot seem to find a way to make sense of the world around him. Events in the novel lead one to believe that apart from all these struggles, one of the biggest challenges Holden cannot seem to overcome is time. He is unsuccessful in his adolescence- as he acts more so like a child, however also finds it hard to begin transitioning into the life of an adult. He is haunted by the idea of everything and everyone in the world around him changing with time, whereas Holden is stuck in a state of discomfort and reluctance to grow up. He is stuck on the threshold between the two, and seems to struggle with the concept of 'moving on'. In order to overcome the barrier of time, which Holden fails to do in The Catcher in the Rye, one must have the ability to learn from their mistakes, rather than dwelling on the past.