 Does the thesis statement answer the prompt?
 Why is life expectancy short in Equality 7-2125’s society?
 Life expectancy is short in Equality 7-2125’s society
because of poor public sanitation.
 Then, add a little style to it:
 The lack of proper public sanitation negatively affects
every aspect of a members’ life, resulting in a shorter life
expectancy.
TOPIC
QUESTION AND THESIS
STATEMENT
Character
Pearl is an alien to her society until
her father acknowledges her, which
depicts the misogynistic society she
lives in.
Relationships Salinger shows that the relationship
among
between Holden and Phoebe acts as
Characters
a positive force on Holden.
TOPIC
Themes
QUESTION AND THESIS STATEMENT
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a
satire on racism.
Steinbeck poignantly expresses the alienation
and loneliness of migrant farm workers.
Style: Effective Through the use of images and symbols,
use of imagery,
Salinger reveals many subtleties about
foreshadowing, or Holden's sensitive personality.
symbolism to
advance character
development,
theme or artistic
purpose
TOPIC
Structure
QUESTION AND THESIS STATEMENT
The river journey is used to illustrate Huck's
increasing awareness of the moral hypocrisy
in the "civilized" South.
 In a 2 ½ -- 3 page paper, having a concise and narrow
thesis statement is essential.
 Example: Life expectancy is short in Equality 7-2125’s
society because of pollution, lack of military power,
and a high infant mortality rate.
 Is this narrow enough to be thoroughly argued in 2 ½
pages?
 All three of the points stated in your thesis should
already have one larger point in common—like an
umbrella all three fit under.
 Example: Life expectancy is short due to trash in the
streets, dirty public bathrooms, and unclean water
reservoirs.
 Life expectancy is short due to improper sanitation
practices that lead to diseases.
 In (title of work), (author) (illustrates, shows) (aspect)
(adjective).
 In “Barn Burning,” William Faulkner shows the
characters Sardie and Abner Snopes struggling for their
identity.
 In (title of work), (author) uses (one aspect) to
(define, strengthen, illustrate) the (element of work).
 In “Youth,” Joseph Conrad uses foreshadowing to
strengthen the plot.
 In (title of work), (author) uses (an important part
of work) as a unifying device for (one element),
(another element), and (another element). NOTE:
The number of elements can vary from one to four.
 In “Youth,” Joseph Conrad uses the sea as a unifying
device for setting, structure and theme.
 In (title of work), (author) uses (literary device) to
(accomplish, develop, illustrate, strengthen)
(element of work).
 In “The Masque of the Red Death,” Poe uses the
symbolism of the stranger, the clock, and the seventh
room to develop the theme of death.
 (Author) develops the character of (character’s
name) in (literary work) through what he/she
does, what he/she says, what other people say to or
about him/her.
 Langston Hughes develops the character of Semple in
“Ways and Means”…
 (Author) (shows, develops, illustrates) the theme of
__________ in the (play, poem, story).
 Flannery O’Connor illustrates the theme of the effect of
the selfishness of the grandmother upon the family in “A
Good Man is Hard to Find.”
 (Author) (shows, develops, illustrates) the theme of
__________ in the (play, poem, story).
 Flannery O’Connor illustrates the theme of the effect of
the selfishness of the grandmother upon the family in “A
Good Man is Hard to Find.”
 (Author) develops his character(s) in (title of work)
through his/her use of language.
 John Updike develops his characters in “A & P” through
his use of figurative language.
 http://www.shmoop.com/video/how-to-write-a-killer-
thesis-statement/