Literary Thesis Statement Ideas and Examples
Don Marquis introduced Archy and Mehitabel in his Sun Dial column by combining the conventions of
free verse poetry with newspaper prose so intimately that in "the coming of Archy," the entire column
represents a complete poem and not a free verse poem preceded by a prose introduction.
In The Scarlet Letter, Pearl may appear to be a living embodiment of Hester’s sin, but her ultimate fate
suggests that she is an embodiment of true love, and that her flaws are caused only by her father’s
refusal to claim her.
The character of Ben in Arthur Miller’s Death of A Salesman serves a complex dramatic function. He is
Willy Loman’s real brother, the idealized memory of that brother, and an aspect of Willy’s own
personality, and these distinct functions are sometimes simultaneous. Through his aggressive actions
and vibrant speech, Miller gives the audience a strong contrast to Willy’s self-doubt and selfcontradiction. In addition, the encounters between Ben and Willy serve as an extended examination of
professional and familial morality. Finally, Ben personifies the defeat of Willy’s hopes in regards to
both material success and the proper role of a father. For both Willy and the audience, therefore, Ben
represents the ideal Willy can never achieve and the burden he can never escape.
“The Blind Man," "Cathedral," and "The Lame Shall Enter First" feature protagonists who learn about
their own emotional or spiritual shortcomings through an encounter with a physically handicapped
person. In this way, all three stories invite us to question traditional definitions of "disability."
Because we sympathize with Sonny, the drug addict in the story, rather than with his brother, the
narrator, "Sonny's Blues" presents a complex picture of drug use as a means of coping with sorrow and
fear
In "Sonny's Blues" Baldwin uses four female characters, three of whom are mothers and one of whom is
an artist, to establish his theme that there's no way to avoid suffering in life
Through its contrasting river and shore scenes, Twain’s Huckleberry Finn suggests that to find the true
expression of American ideals, one must leave ‘civilized’ society and go back to nature.
Through Paul’s experience behind the lines, at a Russian prisoner of war camp, and especially under
bombardment in the trenches Erich Maria Remarque realistically shows how war dehumanizes a man.
The use of “whiteness” in Moby-Dick illustrates the uncertainty about the meaning of life that Ishmael
expresses throughout the novel.
Gwendolyn Brooks’s 1960 poem “The Ballad of Rudolph Reed” demonstrates how
the poet uses the conventional poetic form of the ballad to treat the unconventional
poetic subject of racial intolerance.
The fate of the main characters in Antigone illustrates the danger of excessive pride.
The imagery in Dylan Thomas’s poem “Fern Hill” reveals the ambiguity of our
relationship with nature.
Although Emma and Levin define spirituality differently, their self-centered perspectives
confine them to a state of permanent disillusionment.
The letters Elizabeth receives contain crucial information that leads to
profound changes in her character—changes that make it possible for her to acknowledge her
love for Darcy and that lead to her marriage.
Victor Frankenstein’s education in unnaturally isolated environments fosters his tragic ambition.
Dickens’ portrayal of the French Revolution and the love triangle depends mainly on his use of four
artistic tools: paradox, parallelism, figurative language, and theme.
“The Yellow Wallpaper” is used by Gilman as a symbol of the social and economic repression of the
19th century woman and her struggle to free herself.
In Beloved, the spiritual and physical enslavement of Baby Suggs, Sethe, Denver and Beloved is shaped
by chattel slavery and reflected in the houses at Sweet Home and on Bluestone Road
Through Mansfield's skillful handling of point of view, characterization, and plot development, Miss
Brill comes across as a convincing character who evokes our sympathy.
While many children love to hear the story of “Sleeping Beauty”, the message it sends young girls about
passively waiting for their “prince” to come facilitates the development of a more submissive
personality.
Sir Thomas More’s Utopia treats individualism as a serious but remediable social problem. His radical
treatment of what we might now call “socialization” attempts to redefine the meaning and origin of
individual identity.
Although Othello appears to attack jealousy, it also supports the skepticism of the jealous characters
over the naiveté of the lovers.