The Thesis Statement

Lesson # 4 Thesis Development

• Writing Process

• Descriptive Essay

• Narrative Essay

• Exemplification Essay

• Personal Essay

• Common Writing

Mistakes

Writer’s Prompt:

• Turn to your neighbor and describe in as much detail as possible, that person’s nose

Assignments

• Read Chapter 3 – “Drafting and Revising” in The Little, Brown Handbook– Do Exercise 3.9, Page 65

• In GW read Annie Dillard’s “Mantis,” Page 37– Answer Meaning and Idea #4 and Language,

Form, Structure #2

Assignment ReviewEmily Bronte’ Wuthering Heights • elements of passion, mystery, doomed love and social

commentary have made Wuthering Heights an enduring masterpiece.

• Set in 18th Century England, Bronte explores themes of revenge, religion, class and prejudice while plumbing the depths of the metaphysical and human psyche.

• Emily Bronte’s works did not receive wide acclaim until after her death at the age of thirty. Wuthering Heights is still in print today and has inspired numerous television and feature film adaptations.

Assignment ReviewEmily Bronte’ Wuthering Heights • As with most of the Bronte sister’s popular novels, people have

tried to find biographical parallels in them. Emily has been characterized to mythic proportions as deeply spiritual, free-spirited and reclusive as well as intensely creative and passionate, an icon to tortured genius.

Questions – Wuthering Heights

– Page 35, do questions Meaning and Idea #3; Language, Form, Structure #2

Assignment Review

• LBH Chapter 2 Ex. 2.6, Page 31 – Thesis statements – – A thesis narrows the subject, claims

something specific and significant about your subject, and is unified – each word contributes to a single idea.

The Thesis StatementA Road Map for Your Essay

ESSAYIntroduction

Thesis StatementBody Paragraph #1Body Paragraph #2Body Paragraph #3

Definition• A thesis statement is a complete

sentence that contains one main idea.

• This idea controls the content of the entire essay.

• A thesis statement that contains sub points also helps a reader know how the essay will be organized.

Review the following…

When she was young, she always knew she wanted to become a teacher someday. When she played, she would often gather her dolls together and pretend to teach them how to do math problems or how to read a book. As she grew older, her desire to become an ESL teacher became clearer as she did some volunteer teaching overseas and in the United States. As she looks back on her reasons for becoming a teacher, there are three reasons that stand out. They are: her love for the English language, her innate interest in how people learn, and her desire to help other people .

•WHAT’S THE THESIS?

When she was young, she always knew she wanted to become a teacher someday. When she played, she would often gather her dolls together and pretend to teach them how to do math problems or how to read a book. As she grew older, her desire to become an ESL teacher became clearer as she did some volunteer teaching overseas and in the United States. As she looks back on her reasons for becoming a teacher, there are three reasons that stand out. They are: her love for the English language, her innate interest in how people learn, and her desire to help other people .

Psychologists have argued for decades about how a person’s character is formed. Numerous psychologists believe that one’s birth order (i.e. place in the family as the youngest, oldest, or middle child) has the greatest influence. I believe birth order can have a significant impact in the formation of a child’s character based on my own experience growing up in a family of four children. Birth order can strongly affect one’s relationship with parents, relationships with others, and how one views responsibility as an adult.

•WHAT’S THE THESIS?

Psychologists have argued for decades about how a person’s character is formed. Numerous psychologists believe that one’s birth order (i.e. place in the family as the youngest, oldest, or middle child) has the greatest influence. I believe birth order can have a significant impact in the formation of a child’s character based on my own experience growing up in a family of four children. Birth order can strongly affect one’s relationship with parents, relationships with others, and how one views responsibility as an adult.

How To Create A Thesis

Purpose

• What do you want the reader to know, do, or feel as a result of reading your text?

• Are you informing, evaluating, persuading, describing, confessing, or entertaining?

• What literary style are you using – informal, formal, satirical…?

Audience

• Who are your readers?

• What is their approximate age/ interest and knowledge level/ educational level in your subject?

• Are they experts, “general public,” your peers or fellow students?

• Do they agree or disagree with your point of view?

The Functions of a Thesis Statement

Narrows your subject

– The thesis statement narrows your subject to a single, central idea that you want readers to gain from your essay.

– The thesis statement claims something specific and significant about your subject, a claim that requires support.

– Anyone reading your thesis should be able to clearly and directly know exactly what you are going to write about

Conveys Your Purpose

– The thesis statement conveys your purpose, your reason for writing.

– What is your point of view?

– Where are you going with this essay of yours?

– What direction are you taking?

– What’s your position?

Previews What’s to Come

The thesis statement often concisely previews the arrangement of ideas.

It gives a preview of the subjects to be covered within your essay – from first to second to the final conclusion.

is usually at the end of an introduction.

A Thesis Checklist

Checklist

– How well does the subject of your statement capture the subject of your paper?

– What claim does your statement make about your subject?

– What is the significance of the claim? How does it answer “So what?” and convey your purpose?

Checklist

– How can the claim be limited or made more specific? Does it state a single idea and clarify the boundaries of the idea?

– How unified is the statement? How does each word and phrase contribute to a single idea?

Thesis Sentences for Revision

• Which of the following thesis sentences are effective? Ineffective?

• Explain what is wrong with each of the ineffective theses and revise them.

• Assume an essay of 500 words and an audience of generally educated adults whom you do not know personally.

Sample Thesis #1

ORIGINAL: George Washington was the first president of the United States.

REVISED: As the first president of the United States, George Washington had to resist those who wanted to turn him into a king.

• The original sentence is a statement of fact, something accepted as true rather than a worthwhile assertion.

Sample Thesis #2

ORIGINAL: Student government at my university is worthless.

REVISED: Student government at my university has no money, no power, and no mandate.

• The original sentence is unrestricted, with a vague predicate. It sounds like what will follow will be an emotional tirade rather than sound reason.

Sample Thesis #3

• ORIGINAL: Many colleges exploit their athletes, using them as revenue-producing machines, ignoring their needs as students and failing to regard bright students who do not happen to be athletes.

• REVISED: Many colleges exploit their athletes, using them as revenue-producing machines while ignoring their needs as students.

• The original sentence lacks unity, containing at least three ideas not clearly related.

Sample Thesis #4

ORIGINAL: Strawberry cheesecake is the best kind.

REVISED: No longer must the cheesecake worshipper settle for plain cheesecake: he or she can find everything from the delightful (strawberry) to the exotic (kumquat).

• The original sentence is unworkable because a simple preference cannot be proven, only asserted. The revised sentence reflects a change to the informative process.

Sample Thesis #5

ORIGINAL: Shakespeare was a great writer.

REVISED: In Julius Caesar, we see one dimension of Shakespeare’s greatness: he offers something for everyone, from the bawdy puns of the opening scene, to the comparison of different styles of leadership that informs the whole play.

• The original sentence is unrestricted and obvious.

Sample Thesis #6

ORIGINAL: I just moved to Oregon.

REVISED: Moving from Boston to Oregon still means moving from the Old World to the New.

• The original sentence was a simple statement of fact, of little interest to readers who do not know the writer personally.

In Class Exercise – You Write the Thesis

• After reading the following handouts of excerpts from student essays, as a group, write a good thesis statement for the essay.

• Use the checklist for revising the thesis statement as a guideline