Thesis Statements for Research Papers
How does an author's style reflect the tensions of his/her times?
Your next step for your paper is to come up with a thesis. Your summary should have
discussed the plot of what you were reading along with themes and the author’s purpose for
writing the work. The biography should discuss his or her life, especially concentrating on what
influenced him or her to become a writer.
A thesis will be what you are going to PROVE using that information. However, the thesis
needs to answer the dominating question above.
This worksheet will help you structure your thesis.
Name of Piece: _______________________________
Name of Author: _____________________________
What time period is the piece set in?
Where does the story take place?
When did your author write this piece?
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What do you believe your author was trying to show or do with his or her writing in relation to
the time period in which he or she wrote? What historical event is he or she showing? What
human theme or weakness is he or she commenting on?
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Overall, would you say that the piece is effective or not effective in achieving the intended
purpose of his or her work? Why?
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Was the work(s) successful when it first debuted? Why or why not?
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What do the critics have to say about his or her writing? What do many critics agree on about
his or her writing?
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Thesis Statements for Research Papers
How does an author's style reflect the tensions of his/her times?
Your next step for your paper is to come up with a thesis. Your summary should have
discussed the plot of what you were reading along with themes and the author’s purpose for
writing the work. The biography should discuss his or her life, especially concentrating on what
influenced him or her to become a writer.
A thesis will be what you are going to PROVE using that information. However, the thesis
needs to answer the dominating question above.
This worksheet will help you structure your thesis.
Name of Piece: The Great Gatsby
Name of Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald
What time period is the piece set in?
Where does the story take place?
When did your author write this piece?
Early 1920s
New York, Long Island, upper-class society
1925
What do you believe your author was trying to show or do with his or her writing in relation to the time
period in which he or she wrote? What historical event is he or she showing? What human theme or
weakness is he or she commenting on?
Fitzgerald creates a character that believes in the American self-made man (Gatsby). In the novel, he is
able to analyze the society of which he was also a part. Through his characters, he not only captures
a snapshot of middle- and upper-class American life in the 1920s, but also conveys a series of
criticisms as well.
Fitzgerald’s themes—justice, power, greed, betrayal, the American dream, and social classes are
evident throughout the novel. Fitzgerald has distinct socio-economic groups in the novel, but each
group has its own problems.
Overall, would you say that the piece is effective or not effective in achieving the intended purpose of his
or her work? Why?
The Great Gatsby is a smart social review that offers a look into American life in the 1920s. By
creating distinct social classes—old money, new money, and no money—Fitzgerald sends messages
about the elitism (exclusiveness, snobbery, etc.) running throughout every strata of society.
Was the work(s) successful when it first debuted? Why or why not?
Initially, the success of the book was limited; now it is one of the most famous novels in America. In
1925, the novel served as a snapshot of American society after World War I and life during the Jazz
Age. Today, it provides readers with a portal through which to observe life in the 1920s. Part of
Fitzgerald’s appeal in The Great Gatsby is his ability to sum up the mood of a generation during a
politically and socially vital and disordered period of American history.
What do the critics have to say about his or her writing? What do many critics agree on about his or her
writing?
Most critics agree that it is “great fiction and great social history.” Through the characters, Fitzgerald
explores the human condition as it is reflected in a world characterized by social upheaval and
uncertainty, a world with a direct underlying historical basis.
Using the information from the questions you answered, re-read some of the models below.
They should help you in writing your thesis.
Part of Fitzgerald’s [connects to biography section] charm in The Great Gatsby [connects to
summary section] is his ability to encapsulate the mood of a generation [connects to critical
review section] during a politically and socially crucial and chaotic period of American history
[connects to history section]—the 1920s. [all connects to literary significance section]
The Awakening [connects to summary], by Kate Chopin [connects to biography], has enjoyed a
strange success [connects to critical review and literary importance]: at the time of its
publication in 1899 [connects to history section], critics condemned the novel for its heroine’s
unrepentant drive for independence and emotional, sexual, and spiritual awakening [connects
to literary significance section].
The Bluest Eye [summary], Toni Morrison’s first novel [biography], focuses on Pecola, a lonely,
young black girl living in Ohio in the late 1940s [history]. In this novel, Morrison effectively
exposes the power and cruelty of white, middle-class American definitions of beauty [critical
review and literary significance].
The Killer Angels [summary], by Michael Shaara [biography], attempts to present both a
factual retelling of events as well as the emotional experience of living The Battle of Gettysburg
[historical] while also conveying the reality of war, with its losses and tragedies, and the
motivations and deep emotions of the men there [critical review and literary significance].
Your Thesis:
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