Thesis Statements and Introductions
A thesis statement will tell me exactly what your essay is about in no uncertain terms. A thesis is the SO WHAT of your entire essay. Your thesis should also relate to the overall theme, when writing literary analysis. Throughout your essay you will return to your thesis and the theme in each body paragraph. Think of your thesis as the glue that will hold your essay together and link each of your points. Your thesis is a clear and succinct answer to the prompt and should be in your introduction. I need to know what you are proving from the very beginning (not at the very end). You should not be writing a detective story. I need to know where you are going at the very beginning.
An effective thesis statement:
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tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject matter under discussion.
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is a road map for the paper; in other words, it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper.
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directly answers the question asked of you. A thesis is an interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject itself. The subject, or topic, of an essay might be World War II or Moby Dick; a thesis must then offer a way to understand the war or the novel.
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makes a claim that others might dispute; in other words, it is not an obvious opinion that everyone shares.
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is usually a single sentence somewhere in your first paragraph that presents your argument to the reader. The rest of the paper, the body of the essay, gathers and organizes evidence that will persuade the reader of the logic of your interpretation.
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should focus on an idea that can be supported with evidence and not just emotion.
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follows necessary background information (inverted funnel) in many instances and for the purposes of this class.
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reflects your opinion without saying "I believe," "I feel," or "I think that..."
Examples of thesis statements:
In "The Lovesong of J Alfred Prufrock" T.S. Eliot echoes modern man's fruitless struggle to find self worth and meaning in a sterile society. This thesis reveals my opinion concerning a poem's meaning.
Although Antigone and Creon claim to be motivated by a desire for justice, their fatal conflict results from stubborn insistence upon their own wills. This thesis lets the reader know that I am going to compare and contrast Antigone and Creon concerning their desire for justic and their refusal to understand the other side.
Your introduction serves many purposes; this paragraph should grab the reader's attention and introduce your topic as well as your supports. However, please remember that nothing grabs a reader’s attention better than your own original insight into a topic. A good introduction for the purposes of this class generally goes from general to specific and ends with the thesis statement. However, regardless of where you place the thesis statement in your introduction, there should be a logical flow of ideas and information. The opening sentence should state the general subject of the essay, as well as the author and title of the work. You must include sufficient background information in this paragraph to introduce your thesis. Make sure your thesis is written clearly!
Introductions that you should try to avoid (at this level):
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Opening your essay with a definition from a dictionary
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Opening your essay with a plot summary (assume your audience has read the work but has not thought about the work)
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Opening your essay with irrelevant biographical information about the author such as "Shakespeare was born..."
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Opening your essay with common knowledge (Don't tell me what I already know)
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Opening your essay with a question (You are not in elementary school)
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Opening your essay with, "When reading Shakespeare, one finds interesting... "
Keep in mind that these are just a few suggestions of what not to do in the opening sentence of the introductory paragraph; however, there are exceptions to many rules. The key to good writing is knowing the rules so that when you choose to do something different, it is with knowledge and purpose.