Turning Thoughts Into
Questions
 What interesting things did you notice?
Louise keeps going on about being “free.”
 How do we turn these into questions?
Why is it such a big deal that Louise Mallard feels
“free”?
Purpose: Why Is a Thesis Statement
So Important?
 The thesis statement is typically that one
sentence that asserts the main point, and
controls and structures the essay. Without a
strong, thoughtful thesis, your paper might seem
unfocused, weak, and not worth the reader’s time.
 Thesis Statement that explains main argument of
your essay – not a quality review
 Last sentence of your introduction
How Do I Write a Good Thesis
Statement?
 A good thesis statement will make a claim.
 A good thesis statement will inspire (rather than
quiet) other points of view on a topic.
 A good thesis will control the entire paper.
 A good thesis will provide structure for your
paper
Thesis Statement Checklist

Does my thesis sentence attempt to answer (or at least
explore) a challenging intellectual question?

Does the thesis statement address the topic given to
you? Will it allow you to fully explore and discuss all
aspects of the essay prompt?

Is the point I’m making one that would generate
discussion, or is it one that would leave people asking,
“So what?”
 Is my thesis too narrow? Is it a “dead-end”
statement?
 Is my thesis too vague? Too general? Too
broad? Should I focus on some more specific
aspect of my topic?
 Does my thesis indicate a direction and
structure for my paper?
 Is the language in my thesis vivid and clear? Is
it formulaic, or is it engaging and interesting?
Turning Questions into Thesis
Statements

Question
Why is it such a big deal that Louise Mallard feels “free”?

Thesis
Example #1: In “The Story of An Hour,” Louise Mallard’s
husband dies and she is finally free from feeling
oppressed.
Example #2: Chopin critiques the oppression of women in
marriage at the turn of the century through the wide range
of Louise Mallard’s emotions from her initial pangs of
grief, to her bewildering sense of joy, and finally to her
exhilarated awareness of sudden freedom.
Turning Thoughts Into
Questions
 What interesting things did you notice?
The description of the black box used for the
lottery seems important.
 How do we turn these into questions?
What’s the deal with the black box? Why is it
black? What’s its purpose?
Purpose
 Sample Question: What’s the significance of the black
box in “The Lottery”? What’s its function in the story?
 Possible thesis: The black box helps create a sense of
foreshadowing, emphasizes the tense atmosphere of
the story, and reflects society’s reluctance to change
traditions.
Your Turn
 Question
 Thesis