Writing+a+Thesis

How to Write a **Thesis Statement**
A thesis is a clear statement of your position or opinion about a particular subject. It is **NOT** a statement of fact **NOR** is it a statement of personal preference; for example, **neither** "the sun will rise tomorrow" **nor** "I like this book" are thesis statements.

Don't confuse a thesis statement with a topic statement. "Football in America" is a topic statement. "American football modifies its rules to reduce neck injuries" is a thesis.

To write a good thesis statement consider the following:
 * It must state an opinion.
 * It should be controversial. That means it has to be possible for an intelligent person to disagree with your thesis. If everyone agrees on first sight, your thesis is too obvious, and not worth writing about. It also has to be something you can reasonably argue about: it's not enough merely to give an unsupported opinion.
 * It should be analytic not evaluative. That is to say it shouldn't praise or criticize the book you're writing about. Theses like “Obasan is an enduring expression of the triumph of the Japanese spirit” or “Frankenstein isn't successful in its choice of narrative techniques” aren't appropriate. How do you prove "enduring", or "successful". Leave that for when you write a book review.
 * It should be specific. You have to write about something specific to the book you're actually studying.
 * Well supported. You actually need to be able to find proof( i.e., quotes), from the text to support your opinion.

Having said that, here are examples of a few good thesis statements.


 * In his novel Moby Dick, Herman Melville creates a diabolical impression of Captain Ahab through his use of contrasting Christian imagery of the Whale, frequent use of Biblical mythology, and a psychological descent that parallels mankind's fall from the Garden of Eden.
 * Shakespeare’s use of images of dead or decaying flowers in Hamlet implies that the loss of one’s innocence early in life can result in emotional trauma or madness.
 * In The Grapes of Wrath, through his use of imagery and diction, novelist John Steinbeck reveals Tom Joad’s noble conscience and characterizes him as a rebellious young man.
 * In the His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman, the initial setting is important to the development of the plot because Lyra’s future resourcefulness and quick-wittedness in difficult situations were fine-tuned during the numerous challenges she faced as a child while fighting “wars” with the other local children.