How to Write the Thesis
Statement
The thesis statement in an essay of
literary analysis functions as follows:
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It narrows your topic to a central idea—all topic
sentences and body paragraphs will develop and
support this idea.
It asserts something specific and significant about the
topic.
It asserts an arguable claim.
It conveys your expert opinion and analyses.
It may preview how your ideas will be arranged within
your essay (in other words, in what order your ideas
appear within the body).
It is logical, precise, and reasonable.
It responds to how and why questions.
Here are some strategies for
formulating a thesis statement:
I. Decode the writing prompt: Pay close attention
to the language of the prompt. Underline or
highlight words in the prompt that indicate
specific areas of focus. Use the language of
the prompt while composing your thesis,
without being repetitive. Remember to
address ALL aspects of the prompt, not just
the parts you are most interested in.
II. Take inventory: Determine which
supporting details or passages you will
use in the body of your essay and ask
yourself if each example really proves
what you claim in your thesis. Avoid
selecting arbitrary quotes or choosing
quotes whose accompanying analysis
may undermine or contradict what you
claim in the thesis.
III. Identify Relationships, Distinctions, &
Categories: Once you have a variety of
supporting details, determine what
aspects of the thesis statement each
detail supports. These distinctions or
categories will be used to determine
what your topic sentences and body
paragraphs will be made up of.
IV. Revise and Draft: Revise and rewrite the thesis as
many times as needed to achieve satisfaction. Begin
with a “working thesis” statement that you are not
married to. Plan to make revisions as you work
through your essay. Frequently refer back to the
original prompt to be sure that you are responding to
all of the requirements. You may find that after you
have written the body paragraphs, your paper has
taken a different direction than you initially started out
with. In that case, you must revise your thesis
statement to suit the rest of your essay.
Consider the following checklist
when composing a thesis statement:
□ Do not use first-person point of view unless
you are writing an autobiographical or
personal narrative. Formal literary analysis
requires the use of third-person point of view.
□ The thesis statement should be limited to one
sentence.
□ Refer to the writing prompt frequently and be
sure that your thesis clearly responds to all
aspects of the writing prompt.
□ The thesis statement is located at the end of
the introductory paragraph in a typical literary
analysis essay.
□ The thesis isa “roadmap” for the ideas
presented in the essay; it informs the reader
what will be analyzed and in what order.
□ The thesis statement presents ideas in logical,
clear, and specific language; it avoids vague
or abstract language, poor diction, and slang.
□ The thesis statement is analytical, not
factual; it conveys the writer’s expert
opinion, or assertion, and avoids stating
the obvious. It answers how and why
questions.
□ The thesis statement is logical, precise,
specific, and reasonable.
Sample Thesis Statements:
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Consider the strengths and weaknesses
of the following samples. Refer to the
checklist in your evaluations.
Sample 1:
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“The controlling theme of memory
develops meaning throughout Morrison’s
Beloved as a narrative technique,
weaving insight and emotion into the
characters, plot, and symbols.”
Sample 2:
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“Ana Castillo’s short story “Subtitles”
explores the problematic and
contradictory nature of Chicana identity
in a dominant Anglo-American society
through the literary conventions of
metaphor, point of view, figurative
language, and symbolism.”
Sample 3:
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“In addition to their acts of bravery, the
contrasting characteristics of pride and
humility qualify Beowulf and Roland as
heroic figures in the epic works Beowulf
and The Song of Roland.”
Sample 4:
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“In Joyce’s most well-known novel, A Portrait
of the Artist as a Young Man, he employs
language as a powerful medium by which he
chronicles and qualifies his hero’s internal
journey and transformation. For each new
phase of life’s journey, Stephen Dedalus
embarks on a new phase of language that
defines and details his physical, intellectual,
and emotional development as an artist.”
Sample 5:
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“Chopin’s protagonist Edna Pontellier
transforms within her roles as wife and
mother, from outward conformity and
submission to complete rebellion and
defiance against societal expectations.”
Sample 6:
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“In Luis Rodriguez’s autobiographical
novel Always Running he depicts the
impact of negotiating the barriers of the
English and Spanish languages in his
early adolescence on his identity as a
Chicano-American.”
Examples of weak thesis
statements:
1. The Vague Thesis:
 “Queen Gertrude is an interesting
character.”
- “Interesting” is an empty adjective.
2. The Too-Obvious Thesis:
 “Polonius loves to talk.”
- This thesis is a description more than
an arguable claim.
3. The Too-Narrow Thesis:
“All of Guildenstern lines could just as
easily have been spoken by
Rosencrantz.”
- Aside from being speculative, this
example is too limited to serve as the
basis for an entire paper.
4. The Too-Broad Thesis:
“All of Shakespeare’s heroines are witty
and brave.”
“The Old Man and the Sea shows that
heroism means not reckless physical
courage but endurance.”
- Either of these ideas would require a
book to develop, and even then it would
be over-generalized and unprovable.
5. The Illogical Thesis:
 Avoid unqualified generalizations: always, never,
everyone, nobody. Such statements make the reader
think of various exceptions.
 Avoid arguing matters of taste as though they were
provable.
“Gone with the Wind is the most touching novel ever
written.”
- Like unqualified generalizations, this thesis creates a
strong reaction, perhaps even resistance, in the
reader. This thesis is also terribly cliché.
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Avoid contradictions.
“Macbeth’s actions make him seem like a bad
king. He isn’t really all bad but in many ways
he is.”
- Aside from terrible diction, this undermines
the writer’s authority and comes across as
confused thinking.
- Expressing contrast, however, can be
effective in a thesis as part of an arguable
claim. See the following example:
“As a king, Macbeth is responsible for
evil actions, but he also exhibits
character strengths. Though he is a
tyrant, he is also a decisive and
competent ruler.”
- Notice that though contrast is
expressed here, the emphasis is
effective because said contrast is part of
an established arguable claim.
The thesis is an arguable claim:
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The thesis must assert an argument that could
be disputed.
 However, you as the writer, will prove your
argument through logical supporting subpoints (topic sentences) and supporting
evidence (text citation, or quotes).
 Think of yourself as a lawyer trying to convince
your reader that your stand on the topic is
logical, insightful, and complete.