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Thesis. Without a clear thesis, your entire essay will be unclear as well. Ask yourself – what do I want to support/prove in my essay? That becomes the foundation of your thesis. Thesis for literary analysis. Fit assignment (Character analysis) Arguable opinion Clear (not too much going on)
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Thesis Without a clear thesis, your entire essay will be unclear as well. Ask yourself – what do I want to support/prove in my essay? That becomes the foundation of your thesis.
Thesis for literary analysis • Fit assignment (Character analysis) • Arguable opinion • Clear (not too much going on) • While creating and after creating thesis – ask yourself if your statement follows these guidelines • THEN…there needs to be a “why,” a “so what”
Samples • Ask: Fitting? Arguable? Clear? So what? • Gatsby has not realized that he is a wealthy man and has not enjoyed his own wealth
Process • It is fitting – but how can it be arguable? Clear? • Ask yourself, why he doesn’t enjoy his wealth • Will he ever enjoy his wealth? So what if he doesn’t? • Form an opinion about this – • Wealth doesn’t make him happy…why? wealth alone doesn’t make most people happy, why?…relationships bring happiness, so what?…without relationships you can’t be happy • Gatsby demonstrates that no matter how much you have in life, without loving relationships, life is empty.
Samples • Every decision that Gatsby makes, Daisy is in mind. • Gatsby is the most caring character in The Great Gatsby • Why did Daisy choose Tom? • Daisy represents the American Dream – the ideal to strive towards but impossible to achieve. • Daisy is a manipulative woman
Samples Continued • Nick Carraway is a good narrator for this story because he is connected to the main characters in some way • Daisy’s indecisiveness leads to many conflicts in the story • Gatsby doesn’t need Daisy • Gatsby is portrayed as great, but based on his actions, he is not • Jay Gatsby’s is a motivated man willing to work hard to meet his goals, but his built up and fantasized ideas about his goals set him up for disappointment and eventually led to his death.
Workable thesis statements • Daisy represents the American Dream – the ideal to strive towards but impossible to achieve • Daisy’s indecisiveness leads to many conflicts in the story • Gatsby is portrayed as great, but based on his actions, he is not
Altered statements • Gatsby is the most caring character in The Great Gatsby WHY? BECOMES Gatsby’s humble beginnings help him become the most caring character in The Great Gatsby
Altered statements • Daisy is a manipulative woman • So what? Daisy’s manipulative nature negatively impacts all the male characters in the novel • Daisy is a manipulative woman • Why? Because Daisy has been hurt and suffered loss, she becomes manipulative to protect herself.