Thesis Statements

Thesis Statements English 101, Fall 2013

A good thesis statement… • Limits the topic • Computers > social networking > Facebook > privacy policy • Indicates how it will be treated in the essay • Examination of controversies surrounding the privacy policy • Makes an arguable claim • The privacy policy indicates the Facebook staff has greater respect for advertisers than for users.

How a thesis statement functions • As a compass • As a hook • As a blueprint • As an assertion • As a promise Remember: An argumentative thesis statement must be arguable, especially within the bounds of your essay.

A useful formula: • Claim + Reason = Thesis Statement Claim: Sexist language in college textbooks should be revised. Reason: It weakens the curriculum by reinforcing negative stereotypes. “+” = “because” “Sexist language in college textbooks should be revised because it weakens the curriculum by reinforcing negative stereotypes.”

“So what?” • “Many people in the world are victims of stereotyping.” • “Public elementary schools in Iowa should adopt a more socially and culturally diverse curriculum to help prevent behaviors that result from stereotyping.”

Anticipate counterarguments • “Mitt Romney lost the 2012 presidential election because he failed to appeal to minority voters.” • “While Mitt Romney’s unclear stance on gun control hurt his chances in the 2012 presidential election, he lost because he failed to appeal to minority voters.”

A thesis statement is NOT… • A question • “Can we save the Amazon rainforest?” • Merely a statement of fact • “Smoking is unhealthy.” • Merely a statement ofopinion • “Morning radio shows are obnoxious.”

No Questions • “Can we save the Amazon rainforest?” • "We can save the Amazon rainforest by limiting tourist presence and boycotting goods made by companies that deplete the forest's resources.” • OR • "We cannot save the Amazon rainforest since the companies that deplete its resources are too wealthy and politically powerful.”

Not just Facts • “Smoking is unhealthy.” = Informative paper (fails the assignment!) If there are noreasonable counterarguments to your thesis statement, your thesis statement is probably not argumentative!

Not just Opinions • “Morning radio shows are obnoxious.” Opinions are subjective and don’t necessarily require evidence, but arguments need evidence that will convince readers. • How could you turn this into an argumentative thesis statement?

Remember: • “Why is the literary canon expanding?” is a question. • "The literary canon often guides textbook selection" is a fact. • "The literary canon is the worst thing to ever happen to English studies” is an opinion.

Another thing: • “Personally, I believe the literary canon is useful for English majors.” • What makes this a weak thesis statement? • How could it be revised?

Avoid: • Generalizations or sweeping words like “always,” “never,” “all,” “none” • Qualitative words like “good,” “wrong,” “interesting,” “best,” “worst” • Disclaimers like “personally” or “in my opinion” • Combative or pejorative words like “evil” • Exhaustive lists like “Bettendorf, Davenport, Moline, Rock Island, Milan, Coal Valley, Silvis, Colona, Blue Grass, and Coyne Center” • Announcementslike “In my paper, I will ________.”

Practice Example #1 • “Many women suffer from eating disorders.” • “Images in the media contribute to eating disorders suffered by women.” • “Magazine ads and commercials influence women’s self-image and can lead to harmful behaviors, such as eating disorders.”

(cont’d.) • “Because magazine ads and commercials directly influence women’s self-image and can lead to harmful behaviors, such as eating disorders, clothing and cosmetics companies should incorporate a greater variety of body types in their ad campaigns.”

Practice Example #2 • "Communism collapsed due to problems in society.” • "For political, economic, social and cultural reasons, communism collapsed in Eastern Europe." • "While cultural forces contributed to the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe, the disintegration of economies played the key role in driving its decline."

Practice • Medical facilities should have stricter policies because abortion is evil. • Women dislike playing video games because they are violent. • Is The Nightmare Before Christmas too scary for young children? • From my perspective, Back to the Future Part II is the best movie sequel of the twentieth century.

(cont’d.) • Twitter updates say a lot about people. • In my paper, I will explain why college students today are less interested in Facebook than they were in 2004. • People should cancel their Facebook accounts because they should use Twitter. • Facebook ads are invasive and irrelevant to users.

Remember: • Be specific enough that you can handle your topic effectively within the scope of the paper. • Make sure your thesis statement is a clear, confident, arguable assertion, not merely a statement of fact or opinion. • Don’t worry if your thesis statement changes as you draft your paper! (This happens all the time.) Just make sure the argument is consistent with the thesis statement in your final draft.

Thesis Statements