A Few Words About Theses

The following remarks should help you as you set about formulating a thesis for your first essay.

I.  Topic vs. Thesis:

A topic is a general area of inquiry.  Possible topics for an essay on Charles Dickens's novel Bleak House, for example, include "Police and the Law," "The Fallen Woman" and "First-v. Third-Person Narration."  In stating the topic of an essay, a writer identifies his or her general subject matter.  Stating a topic does not involve making a claim.

A thesis is a statement which makes a claim about a topic.  In stating a thesis, a writer takes a stand on an issue.  The thesis summarizes the writer's basic idea about a topic and lets the reader know what the essay is going to prove.  The thesis of an essay about police and the law in Bleak House would make a claim about why law-courts and the police play such a prominent role in the novel.  The thesis of an essay about narrative strategies in Bleak House would suggest a reason for Dickens's use of both first-and third-person narration in the novel.

II.  Composing a Thesis Statement:

Decide what kind of claim you want to make.  Write a sentence which articulates this claim as clearly and as forcefully as possible.  Then, ask yourself the following questions:
1.  Does my thesis make an assertion?  Is it a complete sentence?
2.  Is the claim I am making arguable?  Do I have evidence to support my thesis?  Am I merely restating the obvious?
3.  What question does my thesis answer?  Is that question worth answering?

III.  Defending Your Thesis:

What evidence do you have to support the claim you make in your thesis?  As you write your paper, make sure that each piece of evidence you cite supports your thesis  Be sure to explain to the reader how and why your evidence supports your claim.  Opinions aren't evidence.  How can you persuade your reader to accept your claim about the novel or story in question?  Organize your paper so as to present the strongest possible defense of your claim.