Do Now
• Did you enjoy reading The Art of Racing in the
Rain? Why or why not? How did you feel about a
dog as the narrator?
Writing Workshop
Thesis Statements
A thesis statement…
• Presents your opinions or thoughts on a subject
or an issue.
• Answers the topic question
• Tells the reader what to expect from the rest of
the paper.
• Is usually one sentence long.
Never use…
▫
▫
▫
▫
▫
▫
I think
I believe
I feel
In my paper, I will prove
In my opinion,
The book I read for summer reading.
Two parts…
• Your thesis statement should include two parts:
WHAT and WHY.
*WHAT: What claim are you making about
the text?
*WHY: Why should we care? Why is your
claim important? Your thesis should answer the
“so what?” question.
When in doubt…
• Use this formula
▫ Placement + Statement + Reason
 Placement (where?)
 Statement (what?)
 Reason (why?)
For example:
Placement (where?) -- In the play Romeo and
Juliet by William Shakespeare
Statement (what?) -- the Friar is to blame for the
deaths
Reason (why?) -- because he is selfish.
In the play, Romeo and Juliet by William
Shakespeare, the Friar is to blame for the deaths
of Romeo and Juliet because he is selfish
Examples:
“Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn is a great
American novel.”
*What’s wrong with this thesis statement?
Examples:
“In Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain develops a
contrast between life on the river and life on the
shore.”
Examples:
“In Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain develops a
contrast between life on the river and life on the
shore.”
Better, but it still doesn’t answer the “so what”
question. What is the point of the contrast?
What does it signify?
Examples:
“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.”
Examples:
“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.”
It presents an interpretation of a literary work
based on an analysis of its content and answers
the “so what” question.
Strong? Needs Work? or Inadequate?
Thesis Statement: There is a lot of symbolism in
The Scarlet Letter.
Strong? Needs Work? or Inadequate?
Thesis Statement: There is a lot of symbolism in
The Scarlet Letter.
Inadequate. Why?
Strong? Needs Work? or Inadequate?
Thesis Statement: Hawthorne’s use of
symbolism in The Scarlet Letter falters and
ultimately breaks down with the introduction of
the character Pearl.
Strong? Needs Work? or Inadequate?
Thesis Statement: Hawthorne’s use of symbolism
in The Scarlet Letter falters and ultimately
breaks down with the introduction of the
character Pearl.
Strong. Why?
Strong? Needs Work? or Inadequate?
Thesis Statement: The character of Ben in
Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman is a great
character.
Strong? Needs Work? or Inadequate?
Thesis Statement: The character of Ben in
Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman is a great
character.
Inadequate. This does not say enough to serve as
the basis for an essay. Besides, this judgments is
entirely a matter of personal opinion because
the criteria by which the judgment is being made
is not defined.
Strong? Needs Work? or Inadequate?
Thesis Statement: Shakespeare's Hamlet is a play
about a young man who seeks revenge.
Strong? Needs Work? or Inadequate?
Thesis Statement: Shakespeare's Hamlet is a play
about a young man who seeks revenge.
Inadequate. That doesn't say anything-it's
basically just a summary and is hardly debatable
Strong? Needs Work? or Inadequate?
Thesis Statement: Hamlet experiences internal
conflict because he is in love with his mother.
Strong? Needs Work? or Inadequate?
Thesis Statement: Hamlet experiences internal
conflict because he is in love with his mother.
Strong: You can debate this topic.
Do Now
• Enzo’s observations throughout the novel
provide insight into his world view. For example:
▫ “Understanding the truth is simple. Allowing
oneself to experience it, is often terrifically
difficult.”
▫ “No race has ever been won in the first
corner; many races have been lost there.”
• How does his philosophy apply to real life?
HOW IT LOOKS
INTRODUCTION
ARGUMENT 1
BODY
ARGUMENT 2
ARGUMENT 3
CONCLUSION
The Literary Essay
 The Literary Essay is an insightful, critical
interpretation of a literary work.
 It is not a summary of plot, character or other
elements of fiction in any given literary work.
This means that…
 …you provide your own formal
interpretation and/or opinion of the topic
 …you use the literary work to prove or
substantiate your understanding of the
topic
You do not…
• …try to prove the plot – we know how the
series of events unfolded because we read
the book
• …need to prove that the characters,
setting, or themes existed in the literary
work
You do…
• …provide an interpretation of the plot,
setting, character, conflict, and themes as
they relate to the topic you are discussing
• …develop elements that will prove your
argument
Introduction
• Include an overview of the story and end it with your
thesis statement. Be sure to incorporate the
following:
▫ A hook
▫ The title of the story
▫ The author of the story
▫ Three to five sentences explaining the background of
the novel
▫ Your thesis statement as the last sentence.
Include the title of your story, the author, your
statement and the reason why you are making the
assertion in your thesis statement.
Do Now
• Write the three parts of the thesis statement
formula in your journal:
 Placement (where?):
 Statement (what?):
 Reason (why?):
• Dissect your thesis statement according to the
formula. Use the Romeo and Juliet example to
guide you.
The Body
 …is composed of paragraphs which
begin with a topic sentence that
clearly introduces the topic in the
paragraph and end with linking
sentences that introduce the next
paragraph
The Body
• …serves to PROVE your thesis
NOTE:
• In order to prove your thesis, you must develop
and expand on the topic using examples and
citations (quotes) from the literary work to
substantiate your statements
• Once a quote is cited, you must provide an
interpretation, not a summary, about how
this quote is relevant to the development of the
topic and thesis
Body Paragraphs
▫ Your topic sentence must include the first way
you will prove your thesis statement
▫ Find a concrete detail in the story to support your
topic sentence.
 This concrete detail comes directly from the text
you are reading. If you take words or ideas directly
from the text, you will need to cite the author and page
number. A concrete detail will not be an idea from
you. Use quotations, facts, specifics, examples,
descriptions, support, proof, evidence, paraphrasing,
plot references.
Body Paragraph
▫ Add commentary or elaboration about your
concrete detail here. In your own words, explain
or expand upon the concrete detail you just wrote.
Explain your interpretation of the concrete detail.
This is the elaboration portion of your ideas. Use
opinion, insight, analysis, interpretation,
inference, evaluation, or reflection. Do not use
“I”/ first person.
▫ Write a concluding sentence which
summarizes your paragraph and transitions to the
topic of the next one.
Quotes
• Include textual evidence in each of your body
paragraphs
• You must CITE the material that you pull from
the text.
Do Now
• In the first chapter, Enzo says: “It’s what’s inside
that’s important. The soul. And my soul is very
human.” How does Enzo’s situation–a human
soul trapped in a dog’s body–influence his
opinions about what he sees around him? How
do you feel about the ideas of reincarnation and
karma as Enzo defines them?
Conclusion
• The purpose of the conclusion is to bring
the essay to a satisfactory ending.
▫ Include a good transition sentence
▫ Restate the main points of the essay
▫ You don’t want to introduce new ideas in the
conclusion, but you can extend the thinking
into the realm of personal reflection (think
about the “so what?” question)
MLA Format
•
•
•
•
•
•
Times New Roman font, size 12, black ink
Double-spaced
One inch margins
Include a title (in the same font)
Do not include a title page
Quotes should be properly cited
*See paper example on my website for other
format issues.