Do Now 9/5
Read the two prompts at the
top of the worksheet and
answer the question that
follows each one.
Do Now Prompt #1
How would you approach writing a thesis for
the prompt below?
0 One of the strongest human drives seems to be the
desire for power. Write an essay in which you discuss
how a character in a novel or a drama struggles to free
himself or herself from the power of others or seeks
to gain power over others. Be sure to demonstrate in
your essay how the author uses this power struggle to
enhance the meaning of the work.
Do Now Prompt #2
How would you approach writing a
thesis for the prompt below?
0 Many works of literature deal with political or
social issues. Choose a novel or play that
focuses on a political or social issue. Then
write an essay in which you analyze how the
author uses literary elements to explore this
issue and explain how the issue contributes to
the meaning of the work as a whole. DO not
merely summarize the plot.
What does a good thesis
statement look like?
0 A good thesis statement is short and simple: it should
be no longer than one sentence, regardless of essay
length.
0 Good Example: Success is a result of doing the right
things consistently.
0 Bad Example: In a world full of success gurus and
books about success, it becomes ever so more
important to delineate the one trait that ultimately
determines success: doing the right things
consistently.
What does a good thesis
statement look like?
0 A good thesis statement is limited to one main idea.
0 Good example: The key to successful dieting is
focusing on a specific goal.
0 Bad example: The key to successful dieting is
focusing on a specific goal, which is also the key to
successfully running a business and coaching a
football team.
What does a good thesis
statement look like?
0 A good thesis statement is a declarative sentence with no
qualifiers (might, maybe, perhaps, etc.):
0 Good example: Lebron James' ability to score, pass, and
rebound make him the league's most valuable player.
0 Bad example: Does Lebron James' ability to score, pass,
and rebound make him the league's most valuable player?
0 Bad Example: Lebron James' ability to score, pass, and
rebound just might make him the league's most valuable
player.
What does a good thesis
statement look like?
0 A good thesis statement does not simply reword the
prompt, but answers the questions of the prompt.
0 Good example: In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, fate is
depicted as an uncontrollable force because of the
inability to control the choices and actions of others.
0 Bad example: In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, fate is a key
feature that drives the play.
0 Bad example: In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, fate plays a
key role in the destiny of the characters.
Evaluating Thesis
Statements
Once you have written your thesis statement, self-evaluate.
Ask yourself these questions:
0 Have you answered the question or merely restated it?
0 Have you tried to argue both sides of the case? It is
important to acknowledge the other side and address the
other position, but your thesis statement must have a clear
opinion that indicates which side you agree with.
0 Have you prejudged the issue by using loaded language?
Immature writers manipulate readers through
emotionally-charged language that distracts from the
argument.
Thesis 1: In A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens,
the author uses many different types of figurative
language to characterize Scrooge.
1). The Subject?
2). The writer’s opinion?
Thesis 1: In A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens,
the author uses many different types of figurative
language to characterize Scrooge.
1) The Subject: Scrooge’s character in A Christmas
Carol.
2) The writer’s opinion: One of the key elements of a
thesis is missing in this example: there is no opinion
given. This thesis statement simply restates the
writing prompt.
Thesis 2: In A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens,
the protagonist Scrooge is portrayed as the
archetypal greedy, cold-hearted character through
Dickens’ use of figurative language such as similes
and metaphors.
1). The Subject?
2). The writer’s opinion?
Thesis 2: In A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens,
the protagonist Scrooge is portrayed as the
archetypal greedy, cold-hearted character through
Dickens’ use of figurative language such as similes
and metaphors.
1). The Subject: Scrooge’s character in A
Christmas Carol.
2). The writer’s opinion: Scrooge is
characterized as greedy and cold-hearted.
BNW: Intros & Thesis
Statements
0 Read the example introduction paragraphs and
evaluate the thesis statements in each one.
0 Underline the complete THESIS statement (it might be
multiple sentences).
0 Circle the SUBJECT of the thesis statement.
0 Put (parentheses) around the writer’s OPINION about
that subject.
Homework!
Read the poem “Sea-Fever” and fill in the blanks for the
thesis statements that follow.
In Holy Sonnet X, Donne’s use of personification and
mocking comparisons clearly reveal his disdainful
attitude toward death.
1. Subject:
2. Writer’s opinion about that
subject:
3. This is an effective thesis
statement because…
In the excerpt from Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird,
Atticus’ strong diction and religious references reveal his
unwavering belief that his defense of Tom Robinson is both
moral and mandatory.
1. Subject:
2. Writer’s opinion about that
subject:
3. This is an effective thesis
statement because…
Sample Thesis Statements
In Anne of Green Gables, L.M. Montgomery
personifies trees, lakes, and other elements of
nature to suggest the friendship that can develop
between people and the natural world.
2. In the poem “Jabberwocky” by Lewis Carroll, the
poet uses scary-sounding nonsense words to create
an ominous yet humorous tone.
3. In T.S. Eliot’s poem “The Love Song of J. Alfred
Prufrock,” the poet uses the color yellow to
represent the corruption and decay prevalent in
modern society.
1.
Actual Student Thesis
Statements
1.
2.
3.
In this speech, [President Lyndon B. Johnson], urges Congress
to support the Voting Rights Act which would raise any
restraints on voting. The speech uses allusions and repetition
to achieve his purpose, namely, getting Congress to vote “yes”
to the Voting Rights Act.
In this excerpt of Hillenbrand’s Seabiscuit, she expresses
through her potent diction and creative language, the constant
danger, excitement, and challenge of riding one of nature’s
most beautiful and lethal machines, the Thoroughbred Horse.
In “Riding is an Exercise of the Mind” by N. Scott Momaday, the
author uses duction and imagery to create a sense of wonder
and comfort with nature, and in doing this shows his
connection to the environment.
1.
In the poem “Sea Fever, “ John Masefield uses
images connected with
to create a
tone.
2.
In the poem “Sea Fever,” John Masefield uses sound
devices such as
to convey the exhilaration
and energy of a windy day at sea.
3.
In the poem “Sea Fever,” the author’s choice of
adjectives conveys feelings of
and
.
4.
In the poem “Sea Fever,” John Masefield creates a
sense of adventurous freedom by using
.
5.
In the poem “Sea Fever,” John Masefield
by using
reveal/convey/portray
.
to
Do Now: Evaluating Thesis
Statements
0 In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, how the characters use the
power they have changes them. Either the power that
they have gained is too much or is natural to handle.
In this play, power can either make you stronger or
tear you apart.
0 Macbeth is a tragic hero because his lust for power
blinds him to the choices he makes, his curiosity leads
him down his dark path and destiny, his
determination to be king clouds his judgment, sense
of character, and the sense to know what’s right and
wrong.
0 In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Shakespeare heavily
distorts the main character’s view of what reality
actually is.
0 In Macbeth, or the “Scottish Play”, the idea of power is
represented as a dangerous thirst which can never be
satisfied, and can bring people to their breaking point.
0 In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, obtaining power leads to
corruption. Power is gained in unjust ways, used for
negative reasons, and is dangerous because
everything was sacrificed for the sake of power.
0 In Macbeth, the text determines the tone and mood in
the story by using language that is either heavy or
light in consonants, specific diction, and annunciation,
and reinforces the positions of each character.
0 In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, power corrupts
the behavior of those who have it, this makes it hard
to get the distinction between right and wrong in the
behavior to obtain power.