ENG125: Introduction to Literature
Writing a Clear and Sound Thesis for a Literary Analysis
Purpose: Use this resource to learn about thesis statements and as a tool for creating your own.
What is a thesis?
The thesis statement is the keystone of your paper. You can compare it to the foundation of a building: If your foundation is poorly built or too weak – if it’s too general or flimsy – the building will fall down. It’s key to build a strong foundation, one that will hold up the many parts of your building.
What does the thesis statement do?
The thesis statement announces the analytical argument you intend to prove in the main body of your essay. You might view it as a road map for your analysis since tells the reader what to expect in the essay. Be sure to write a clear and direct road map that contains the essential elements of your argument.
Where does the thesis statement go?
The thesis, which can be one or two sentences, should be placed somewhere in the introduction of your essay. It will often appear as the last sentence(s) in the paragraph.
What should a thesis statement include?
A successful thesis statement keeps your building standing and helps readers find their way through the essay. It should also be thought provoking and engaging.
How should I write a thesis statement?
When you first begin to write a thesis, you may write a working thesis or a statement that helps you get a start on your paper. A working thesis statement is just like a regular thesis statement, except that you can tweak it and change it as you explore your topic, conduct your research, and develop your paper.
Your thesis statement should include two parts: what and why.
What: What claim are you making about the text?
Why: Why should we care about that claim? Why is your claim important to you and your analysis? In other words, your thesis should answer the “So what?” question.
· The “So what?” question can include various approaches.
o What is important about this analysis?
o Why does the analysis matter in how we understand the work?
o What makes this analysis interesting and relevant to our understanding of the human condition?
What does a good thesis statement look like?
Example: Through its contrasting forest and town scenes, Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer indicates that to find express freedom and imaginative creative, one must leave “civilized” society and go back to nature.
· This thesis statement provides a strong foundation and a clear road map. It also presents an interpretation of a literary work based on an analysis of it content and answers the “So what?” question.
· The thesis contains clear details and names the author and book title; it also shows a clear contrast to be made.
What does a not-so-great thesis statement look like?
Example: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain is a great American novel.
· What’s wrong with this thesis statement? It’s an opinion about the book, not an argument.
Example: In The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Mark Twain develops a contrast between a boy’s wild, imaginative life in the forest and his more sedate, controlled life in the town.
· What is still missing in this thesis?
· It doesn’t answer the “So what?” question—what is the point of the contrast? What does the contrast signify?
Which is the better thesis statement for the movie World War Z, and why? Check with your instructor to see if you got the answer right.
1. In World War Z, a virus changes people into flesh-eating zombies, which can mean the end of the world if humans don’t fight back.
2. Brad Pitt, in World War Z, fights zombies to save his family and the entire world.
3. In World War Z, the protagonist, played by Brad Pitt, struggles to find the origin of the virus as well as a cure, which represents how modern societies respond to disease.
4. Zombie movies, like World War Z, feature world apocalypse with the scientist struggling to find a solution, a concept that has a long history in American culture and reveals a belief about technology.
Template for Writing a Thesis for a Literary Analysis
Fill out the blanks below, and then revise your sentence into a thesis.
The conflict identified in the story/poem/drama ______(title of work) ______by _____(name of author)______and ______(title of work) ______by ______(name of author) ______centers on ______, which represents______, showing that humans ______.
In the story/poem, ______(name of work) ______and ______(name of work) ______, the writers ______(name of writer of first work) ______and ______(name of writer of second work) ______, focus on ______(name of conflict) ______to reveal how ______.
Thesis Checklist
ü Does your thesis mention the titles of the works and the authors?
ü Does the statement refer to a specific conflict?
ü Does the statement provide a narrow focus on how you will address or evaluate the conflict?
ü Does the statement provide an answer to the “So what?” question as it relates to the topic?