Paper 2 Thesis Statement

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• WO
• Studiejaar 6

Paper 2 Thesis Statement

After unpacking P2 questions, it's time to formulate a thesis statement. Your thesis statement will come at the end of your introductory paragraph. It acts as a cornerstone for the whole essay. 

Once you have decided on a which question you will answer for your Paper 2 essay, you can construct a thesis statement, as an answer to the exam question. Try writing a thesis statement that answers an exam question in relation to two works that you have read. 

cornerstone: a stone that forms the base of a corner of a building, joining two walls.

Question:

Authors sometimes tell their stories in a non-linear fashion. Compare how and why the authors of at least two works that you have read have told their stories in a non-linear fashion.

Thesis statement: 

The authors of both novels use a disjointed and non-linear narration to show readers how soldiers remember, experience and suffer from the horrors of war.

Question: 

In what ways and for what reasons do two literary works that you have read appeal to their audiences’ eyes and ears? Compare and contrast the ways in which they appeal to the auditory and visual senses of their audiences.

Thesis statement: 

A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams and A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen both use stage directions, music and symbolism to appeal to the audience's eyes and ears and construct convey their feminist messages.

Question: 

The struggle against injustice is a theme that speaks to readers. Compare the ways in which the authors of two literary works have depicted unjust worlds

Thesis statement: 

Although The Tempest is a play written in the early days of colonialism and Disgrace is a novel written in a post-colonial, post-Apartheid South Africa, the works explore the theme of injustice through point-of-view, symbolism and motif. The authors show the importance of reconciliation and love as means of overcoming injustices.

Paper 2 - mind map

Once you have articulated a thesis statement, you can begin to organise your essay around it. 

To get a clearer picture of your essay, and the examples that you will include, create an outline or a mind map like the one below.