SchoolNotes



The Thesis Statement

What is a thesis statement?

A thesis statement is the main point of an essay. The thesis statement is found in the introductory paragraph, contains the subject of an essay, and makes a statement or an assertion about the subject.

What is the formula for a good thesis statement?

* Identifies a limited, specific subject

* Focuses on a particular aspect or direction

* Is stated in a clear, direct sentence

* Can be supported with facts and details

* Meets the requirements of the assignment

* Is usually placed at the end of the introductory paragraph

* Does not contain personal pronouns (Ex. I, me, you, etc.)

* Avoids vague words such as "good," "interesting," "a serious problem," "in many ways," etc.

What if I do not know what my thesis statement should be?

It is all right to begin work on an essay with a tentative thesis statement in mind. If you do not have a clear, focused idea for a thesis, try re-reading your assignment and doing some research on your subject.

Steps For Writing a Thesis

Ask yourself a question and then brainstorm possible answers. The best answer to the question is your thesis statement.

Example Question: Who is the most courageous character in the novel?

Brainstorm: Boo, Atticus, Tom, Scout, Jem, Heck Tate

Best Possible Answer: Atticus

Thesis Statement:

Many characters in To Kill a Mockingbird display various forms of courage, but Atticus Finch is clearly the most courageous because he refuses to give up the fight no matter what the circumstances or losses it may bring to him or family.

Other examples:

1. Just as in society, characters in the book To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, use masks to hide truth as a form of self-protection.

2. People wear masks for numerous reasons, but in To Kill A Mockingbird, characters put on and remove masks because of emotional and environmental reasons

3. Many of the characters in To Kill A Mockingbird mature in their beliefs and opinions, but out of all of them, Scout Finch matures and learns the most because of her ability to view the world from other people’s perspectives.

4. Prejudice is as pervasive today as it was in the 1930’s in Harper Lee’s book To Kill Mockingbird.

5. Although there are numerous teachers in To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus Finch is the most sagacious, compassionate instructor in the book.

6. Harper Lee uses Tom Robison to show racism in the south during the 1930s by putting him in a situation where it is his word, a black man's, against a white woman's word.

7. "I'd rather you shot at tin cans in the back yard, but I know you'll go after birds. Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird"(56). So began the greatest lesson that Atticus Finch would ever teach his children.

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