Preparing a Thesis Statement

The thesis or thesis statement is a comprehensive summary of everything you say in the essay. It is the main point you are making in the essay. Therefore, it may be best to formulate your thesis afteryou have written the rest of the essay, so you are aware of what point you want to make. You may, of course, set out with a tentative thesis, allowing it to change as the content in your essay changes.

In an argumentative essay, the thesis lets the reader know exactly where you stand, for or against the issue. It is not neutral.

Bad: "Abortion is a controversial issue which has been debated for the past 20 years."

Good: "The laws restricting abortion should be loosened for the social, psychological, and financial welfare of both mother and child-to-be."

Notice that the thesis usually sums up your ideas.

Your thesis should be bold, direct, authoritative. Do not write "In my opinion" or "I think" in the thesis statement. Such expressions weaken the authority of your thesis:

Bad: "In my opinion most men wear beards because they are trying to find themselves."

Good: "The current beard fad may be an attempt on the part of men to emphasize their male identity."

A thesis should not be in the form of a question. (Usually the answer for that question could be the thesis.)

Bad: "Should eighteen-year-old males have the right to vote?"

Good: "Anyone who is old enough to fight a war is old enough to vote."

A thesis should not be expressed in muddled or incoherent language:

Bad: "Homicides performed by those whose status is juvenile simply because of their being below the age of eighteen should be treated the same as those by older individuals."

Good: "A juvenile who commits murder should be subject to the same punishment as any other capital offender."

The thesis should not be too broad and vague; instead, it should be a definite summary of your essay:

Bad: "Life in a racial ghetto is miserable."

Good: "Residents of a racial ghetto tend to have higher death rates, higher disease rates, and higher psychosis rates than any other residents of American cities."

Other examples of well-formulated thesis statements:

• "The legalization of gambling in British Columbia will promote tourism, add money to government coffers, and spawn a host of fringe industries."

• "Prostitution in Vancouver must be legalized to protect juveniles, to abolish pimping, and to improve health standards."

• "When overzealous parents and coaches emphasize competitiveness and winning in children's sports, the result can be activities that are neither satisfying nor beneficial to children."

In a literary essay, do not confuse the thesis with the theme. The theme is the message, the truth (about life or human relationships) that the author of the story or play wants to convey. The thesisis your theory of how the author conveys that theme through the device of irony, point-of-view, contrast (or conflict), setting, motif, or symbol.

Here are a few examples of literary thesis statements:

• "In D. H. Lawrence's story 'The Odour of Chrysanthemums' the inability to understand, to clearly see another's point-of-view, is represented by the motif-symbol of darkness."

• "In A Man For All Seasons, the contrast of the symbols of water and land represent a conflict between society's changing trends and the timeless unchanging world of God."

Whatever type of essay you are writing, the thesis should be a definite summary of the essay, allowing the reader to anticipate the rest of the essay. Usually appearing at the end of the first paragraph, the thesis should be provocative, a punchline that makes the reader want to read the essay. The thesis is one of the most important parts of an essay. Make it strong, and make it say something.