Essay writing and thesis statements

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 6

What is a thesis statement?

A thesis is a claim about a work of literature that needs to be supported by evidence and arguments. The thesis statement is the heart of the literary essay and most of your essay will be spent trying to prove this claim. 

A good thesis will be: 


• Arguable. “Othello is a tragic play about the downfall of a Moor”  isn’t a thesis—it’s a fact.
  
• Provable through  evidence from the book:  “Othello is a confusing but ultimately very well-written play” is a weak thesis because it offers the writer’s personal opinion about the play. Yes, it’s arguable, but it’s not a claim that can be proven or supported with examples taken from the play itself. 


compare:


Othello and Iago are highly respected soldiers, but both end up disgraced. 

or... contrast:


Iago is very similar to Othello in many respects, but unlike Othello, he enjoys manipulating people and making them suffer. 

contrast:


While both men plot revenge, Iago is the villain and Othello the tragic hero, because Iago actually enjoys punishing those he thinks have offended him while Othello struggles with his crimes.

Thesis 1:

• Must be an arguable statement about which readers of the play could disagree.

• Should NOT contain evidence, quotations, or specific examples. This is a statement of argument—that is it. Evidence and specific examples should be saved for the body of the paper

Thesis 2:

• Must be a clear statement of your entire argument, not just a part of it.

Thesis 3:

• Should be 1-2 sentences long, and should appear at the end or near the end of the introduction.

Thesis 4:

• Should NOT include the first or second person (I, we, us, you, etc.)

Thesis 5:

• Should NOT contain evidence, quotations, or specific examples. This is a statement of argument—that is it. Evidence and specific examples should be saved for the body of the paper

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Essay layout

• Title: clear and interesting; no ambiguity/question
• Introduction: Your introduction should let the reader know what to expect. What topic will you be addressing? 
Present your thesis at or very near the end of your introduction. 

• Body paragraphs: Begin with a strong topic sentence. A good topic sentence alerts readers to what issue will be discussed in the following paragraph; add examples to back up your arguments.

• Conclusion: use the conclusion to quickly summarise the specifics of your essay; no new information!