Developing a Strong Thesis

1. Developing a Strong Thesis It IS possible!!

2. Therefore, a thesis cannot be a simple statement of fact, because a statement of fact does not require persuasive argument.  • However, all facts require interpretation if one wants to derive meaning from them. Definition of a Thesis A thesis is the main idea that you are trying to convey in your work It expresses the personal conviction of the writer, yet, does not use personal pronouns It must be arguable, and present three supporting ideas

3. Thesis Statements for Literary Essays Essays that examine works of literature are always presumably written for people who have read the work in question.  For example, we can assume that relatively few people are going to read an essay about Madame Bovary without having read the book.  These readers know what happens in the story, novel, or play, or what the poem says on a literal level, so they are not going to be interested in reading an essay merely summarizing the plot or even the overall theme of a work.  Nor are they looking for background information on the author’s life.  Even if they were to enjoy that, knowing more about an author personally would not by itself help them understand the work better, which is what we should presume they want.

4. What is this? • “In The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne struggles to understand her daughter Pearl’s strange behavior.” • Any reader of the novel knows that this is true.  While you could fill an essay with quotations from scenes that show Hester struggling to understand Pearl, it would not be necessary. Fact or thesis?

5. Better… Why? This statement is a thesis because the claim that Pearl is “an embodiment of true love” requires support.  The novel never says that directly.  The writer can only persuade the reader to accept this thesis by quoting the text and then explaining how and why this interpretation makes sense. • “In The Scarlet Letter, Pearl may appear to a living embodiment of Hester’s sin, but her ultimate fate suggests that she is an embodiment of true love, and that her flaws are caused only by her father’s refusal to claim her.” An analytical thesis sounds like this…

6. Avoid Absolutes Literary and artistic works never prove anything about the real world.  • Art creates its own worlds with their own rules.  Thus, a novel that presumes our lives have meaning and purpose and another one that presumes that life is random and meaningless can both be great.  X “King Lear is Shakespeare’s most tragic character.” Ughhh….

7. A movie that suggests romantic love is the most fundamental part of our lives (Annie Hall) and a movie that claims that “the problems of three little people don’t amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world” (Casablanca) can both be considered masterpieces.  • On the other hand, literary and artistic works can prove something about literature and art:  • By conventional standards, Paul Henreid’s Victor Laszlo is a more admirable man than Humphrey Bogart’s Rick Blaine; thus Casablanca demonstrates that the most effective American cinematic hero is often an anti-hero.

8. A good thesis is both specific and divided.  Specific means that you avoid general arguments ––– for example, that something is either simply good or bad.  Divided means that you provide an indication of the basis for your argument in the thesis.  Note that sometimes this may require that the thesis be more than one sentence long. Be specific

9. “The character of Ben in Arthur Miller’s Death of A Salesman serves a complex dramatic function.  He is Willy Loman’s real brother, the idealized memory of that brother, and an aspect of Willy’s own personality, and these distinct functions are sometimes simultaneous.  Through his aggressive actions and vibrant speech, Miller gives the audience a strong contrast to Willy’s self-doubt and self-contradiction.  In addition, the encounters between Ben and Willy serve as an extended examination of professional and familial morality. Finally, Ben personifies the defeat of Willy’s hopes in regards to both material success and the proper role of a father.  For both Willy and the audience, therefore, Ben represents the ideal Willy can never achieve and the burden he can never escape.” Right or Wrong? “The character of Ben in Arthur Miller’s Death of A Salesman serves a complex dramatic function.”

10. Never use the first person in your thesis • Never attribute your thesis to someone else, or to general opinion. • Beware the “alternative universe” thesis Ex. Madame Bovary should never have trusted Rodolphe, and would have been happy if she had met someone else first. Tips and hints…