Thesis Statements and Introductions

1. Thesis Statements and Introductions From clunky to AWESOME

2. What does the prompt ask? Morally ambiguous characters—characters whose behavior discourages readers from identifying them as purely evil or purely good—are at the heart of many works of literature. Choose a novel or play in which a morally ambiguous character plays a pivotal role. Then write an essay in which you explain how the character can be viewed as morally ambiguous and why his or her moral ambiguity is significant to the work as a whole. Avoid plot summary. (2002)

3. Break it down: • WHAT: • Morally ambiguous character • in a novel or play of recognized literary merit • HOW: • who can’t be identified—on the basis of the character’s actions—as purely evil or purely good • WHY: • Why is his or her moral ambiguity significant to the work as a whole?

4. Here’s one response: Morally ambiguous characters are at the core of many novels. Their personas are not necessarily purely good, nor are they purely evil. A character who is morally ambiguous gives depth to a novel, giving the reader a chance to connect with a side of a character’s double personality. In the novel Cold Mountain, the character Inman is a Civil War victim trying to escape from his horrid war-inflicted life to find his lost love, Ada. Inman is identified as a morally ambiguous character because his pure intention to rekindle his love with Ada is masked by the violent actions he commits on his journey. Inman’s moral ambiguity is vital to the book Cold Mountain.

5. Does it work? • WHAT: • Morally ambiguous character (Inman) • in a novel or play of recognized literary merit (Cold Mountain) • HOW: • who can’t be identified—on the basis of the character’s actions—as purely evil or purely good (Inman wants to rekindle his love with Ada but commits violent actions. Is “rekindling his love” enough proof of his “good”?) • WHY: • Why is his moral ambiguity significant to the work as a whole? (NOTHING IS THERE)

6. Add the WHY • The why answers the question “So what?” • It explains how the argument deepens our understanding of the novel/play • It relates the part to the whole: in the context of the work as a whole, why is this important?

7. Think through the WHY • Inman commits violent acts with noble intentions. • Inman’s aggression protects innocent people. • So while Inman hurts and kills others, his violence may be justified. • This reflects the novel’s assertion that evil may be necessary and perhaps even moral.

8. Hoo, boy—that’s clunky Morally ambiguous characters are at the core of many novels. Their personas are not necessarily purely good, nor are they purely evil. A character who is morally ambiguous gives depth to a novel, giving the reader a chance to connect with a side of a character’s double personality. In the novel Cold Mountain, the character Inman, a Civil War veteran trying to find his lost love, Ada, is morally ambiguous because his pure intention to rekindle his love with Ada is masked by the violent actions he commits on his journey. Inman’s moral ambiguity is vital to the book Cold Mountain. Inman commits violent acts with pure intentions. His aggression is used to protect innocent people. Even though Inman hurts and kills others, his violence may be justified. This reflects the novel’s assertion that evil may be necessary and perhaps even moral. 142 words

9. From clunky to AWESOME In Cold Mountain, Inman commits violent acts with noble intentions. His aggression protects the innocent and therefore justifies his violence. Inman’s moral ambiguity reflects the novel’s assertion that evil may be necessary and perhaps even moral. 36 words