Composing a Thesis Statement

Bridging the gap from “topic” to “thesis statement.”

Bibliography

• Foster, Benjamin. Writing about Literature—A Guide for Students. Longman. New York. 1993.

“Finding a Topic Suitable for a Thesis.”

• (From page 38).• Brainstorming for a topic:

1. Consider what aspect of the text interests you! 2. When you have a general idea what that is (i.e.

“Antigone”), perhaps start by writing down a series of questions that grab you about that particular subject.

3. Examine “Student Brainstorming” from page 39.

p.40 Plot Summary and Thesis

• AVOIDING PLOT SUMMARY!!!!!!!!!! • From WAL: “Plot summary is rarely called for in a

critical paper. The faulty use of plot summary especially tempts the student who sets out to write about a play or novel without a thesis. If you have no clear argument to offer, then you can easily slip into this summarizing for lack of anything better to say.”

• Examine the sample student paragraph on p.43.

Sample Student Paragraph• WAL 41.• Antigone is a strong character who does what she thinks is right.

When she learns that Creon has proclaimed a law prohibiting the burial of her brother, Polyneices, she does not agree with this and decides she will bury him. She does this by herself since her sister, Ismene, will not help her. She does out onto the battlefield and puts dust on her brother’s body. When she is caught doing this she is brought before Creon, where she admits performing the action and refuses to confess that it is wrong. So Creon puts her to death. She goes to her death as a martyr, proud of her act of reverence for her brother.

• What aspect of this paragraph stands out to you? • Define some of the weaknesses presented here.• How do you think you would revise this if this were your work?

Sample Paragraph—Your responses!

• What aspect of this paragraph stands out to you? • Define some of the weaknesses presented here.• How do you think you would revise this if this were your work?

Sample Student Paragraph – Book Response.

• WAL 41. • “Amounts largely to a summary of Antigone’s actions.”

• “An acceptable summary, but lacks a point.”• “Wanders from whatever thesis it might be attempting

to advance and gives the impression that in fact there is no thesis.”

• “The statement “Antigone is a strong character who does what she thinks is right: is too general to provide much direction for the student.”—Leaves us with the question: “strong in what way?”

WAL (42)• Reading the paragraph entitled “Antigone’s

Courage.” • Book response to revision: • “Because the student focuses on the thesis, the

student has enlarged on the significance of Antigone’s actions rather than just summarizing them.”

• “As a consequence, he wrote more on Antigone’s act of burying her brother and saved for a later paragraph the courage she showed in admitting the crime and accepting its consequences.”

(42) Stating the Thesis as an Assertion

• Aim to limit your thesis to a single sentence. • This is a good way to test if you really have the

right kind of focus. Anything longer than two sentences should generally indicate that you may have something a bit too broad on your hands.

• If / When this happens: You may have something “too ambitious” to fully explore in a short paper --or– you may still lack a clear focus.

• “Keeping working to refine it (ask your peers for feedback –ask me!) until it can be stated in a forceful sentence!”

Revising your Thesis at the end of your first draft! Who knew?

• You should expect to revise your thesis statement several times during the “drafting” process!

• With each body paragraph that you write (our focus for tomorrow and Friday), always work to incorporate your thesis into the particular example that you are working with. If you can’t figure out how to do this: – You may be working with an example that “just doesn’t

work --or—– You may need to tweak your thesis statement to fit

together with the evidence.– Don’t be afraid!!