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THESIS TRANSCRIPT
SLIDE 01
Hello, welcome to ENC 1102. I’m Dr. Michael Baker, and today we will be talking about thesis
statements.
SLIDE 02
In this lesson, we will cover topics like:
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What is a thesis statement?
What does a thesis statement do?
And, of course, how do you write a good thesis statement, particularly for your 1102
assignments?
Now, in the broadest terms a thesis statement is the main idea of your paper – or, you might have heard
it called the main point, proposition, conclusion, resolution, claim, or argument of your paper. Basically,
your thesis is the thing around which your entire paper should revolve. Because of this, your thesis
should be clearly stated in your paper’s introduction – and it will most likely be stated near the end of
the introduction.
But what qualities make up a good thesis? Well, the faculty at Harvey Mudd College (in Claremont, CA)
created a useful acronym to help us remember four characteristics that a good thesis has. So, with their
permission, let me introduce you to the SAFE thesis.
SLIDE 03
The SAFE thesis has four main qualities, and the first is that it is significant. To be significant, a thesis
statement cannot simply restate some obvious aspect of the text. If someone reads your thesis and
responds, “Well, duh, that’s obvious,” then you have a weak thesis and your essay will suffer for it.
Imagine that you read the introduction to an essay that proudly proclaims…
SLIDE 04
“Kate Chopin’s ‘The Story of an Hour’ is about a woman who mistakenly hears that her husband has died
(but he really didn’t).” Would you want to read that essay? Probably not – it sounds like this essay is just
going to summarize the story, and you have already read the story, right?
So, this sample thesis is a bad one. But are there any ways to salvage a bad thesis? One way is to read
the thesis, and then ask: “So what?”
Okay, let’s think about the sample thesis on the screen. A woman mistakenly hears her husband has
died. So what? Well, we might recall that during the hour she thought he was dead, she started to feel
free and happy. We might revise that thesis to say: “In Kate Chopin’s ‘The Story of an Hour,’ during that
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hour that Mrs. Mallard believes her husband is dead, she begins to dream of freedom – and the loss of
that freedom upon his unexpected arrival causes her death.”
That is definitely better, but it is still pretty obvious; after all, most people interpret the story that way.
Remember, literary studies appreciates originality. We can keep asking the “so what?” question, and/or
we can start thinking about the notes we took when reading the story, or ideas we thought of when
freewriting or brainstorming about the story. You might recall from the Prewriting video that I had an
interesting thought about freedom in “The Story of an Hour” – I noticed that Mrs. Mallard was initially
scared of what might happen, and I connected this with people moving off to college or learning to
drive. Perhaps we could develop a thesis statement from that idea.
So let’s think about this: what if we propose a theme for the story, using the topic of “freedom”? What
does “The Story of an Hour” say about freedom? We might answer that question like this…
SLIDE 05
“Kate Chopin’s ‘The Story of an Hour’ reminds us that although we all desire freedom, the sudden
prospect of freedom can be as terrifying as it is liberating.”
We could probably improve this thesis even more, but compare it to the first version. Doesn’t the new
version sound like a more interesting essay? It is more “significant” because it promises to discuss an
aspect of the text that we probably had not really noticed, and it is more original.
SLIDE 06
The second aspect of a SAFE thesis is that it is arguable. The best quick definition of a thesis statement is
the phrase “debatable claim,” and that is what “arguable” means. A thesis should not be obvious. This
thesis, for example, is pretty obvious…
SLIDE 07
“In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s story ‘Young Goodman Brown,’ the stranger Brown meets in the forest is
really the Devil.”
Now, I’m not sure that the story ever directly states that the stranger is the Devil, but this is a very, very
standard reading of the story. In fact, when the stranger surprises Goody Cloyse in the forest, she cries,
“The devil!” The stranger replies, “Then Goody Cloyse knows her old friend?” (194). So, he seems to
admit that he is the Devil – and there is a lot of other evidence to support this interpretation. So much
evidence, that few critics have even questioned whether or not it is true; everyone tends to accept it as
pretty obvious who the stranger is. After all, he serves as a tempter figure, drawing Young Goodman
Brown deeper and deeper into the forest.
So make sure that your thesis statement is something that you will have to prove or demonstrate.
Consider this example…
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SLIDE 08
“Subtle clues throughout the story reveal that Young Goodman Brown’s night in the woods was not an
actual experience, but a dream.”
This is a better thesis, because it is debatable. Some people think the story represents an actual
experience; some people think it represents a dream. The narrator of the story actually brings up this
possibility on page 202 – but he doesn’t state that it was one or the other. Several articles have been
written on this very question, so although it is not the most original thesis it is a very debatable one.
SLIDE 09
The third quality of a SAFE thesis is that it is focused. One of the biggest mistakes young writers make is
that they try to cover too many things. Typically, the more narrow your essay’s focus, the better. Let’s
consider a couple examples…
SLIDE 10
“In this essay, I will discuss the symbolism, themes, and use of language in John Steinbeck’s short story
‘The Chrysanthemums.’”
The problem with this “thesis” is that it promises too much. Remember, each literary work can have
more than one theme, and there are probably several symbols in that story. Whether you have been
assigned to write a 5-paragraph essay or a 4-page paper, you cannot possibly discuss all of these things
in any depth. And that’s what you want to do: you want to explore one topic in some depth, and not
briefly cover several different topics. Look at it this way…
SLIDE 11
Don’t skim across the surface, and barely hit a lot of different topics. Instead, be the SCUBA diver who
goes in depth on one topic. To return to our last example, don’t write about symbolism, themes, and the
use of language in “The Chrysanthemums” – instead, try something like this…
SLIDE 12
“Although many readers believe that Henry Allen is a bad husband, by the end of the story Elisa has
discovered that he does, indeed, truly love her; when she cries at the end of the story, it is out of shame,
not regret.”
Most critics who have written about this story take a very feminist approach to it, and see Henry as a
bad husband. They suggest that he doesn’t have a backbone (notice how he always gives in to Elisa?),
and that he might even be impotent (because they don’t seem to have any children). They also point out
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how suffocated Elisa seems to feel, as indicated by her desire to live the traveling life of the tinker. And,
there’s no arguing that Henry seems a little inept at complimenting his wife – when Elisa dresses up, he
blunders around saying things like she looks “nice” and “strong.”
But are there ways in which we could argue that he is actually a good husband? I think so, but I won’t go
into details here – just in case someone might want to write a paper about this for topic. The main point,
however, is that this statement is definitely arguable. It’s a “debatable claim” that Henry is a good
husband, because many people think the opposite is true.
SLIDE 13
Remember when we said that literary studies appreciates originality? Well, that doesn’t mean that
“validity” is not important as well. Indeed, a good thesis will be “evidence-based” – that is, it will be
something that has evidence to support it.
Now, I don’t like to discuss strong, original thesis statements in depth, because I like to leave as many
paper options available to you as possible. So, to demonstrate this point, let me return to one of our
“bad” examples…
SLIDE 14
“In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s story ‘Young Goodman Brown,’ the stranger Brown meets in the forest is
really the Devil.”
Again, you don’t want this to be your thesis, because few people would disagree with this statement.
But, as an example, let’s look at some of the evidence that would support this claim.
First, as mentioned earlier, Goody Cloyse seems to identify the stranger as the Devil, and he seems to
acknowledge this identification. Plus, at the start of the story when Brown first enters the forest, he
says, “What if the devil himself should be at my very elbow!” Boom. In the very next sentence, the
stranger appears. Don’t forget that the stranger acts as a tempter figure, drawing Brown deeper into the
forest – away from his wife Faith, and toward a gathering of witches. We might also point out the
apparent supernatural aspects of the stranger, such as his claim that he traveled 15 miles in 15 minutes
– something that just wasn’t possible in the late 17th century, before the invention of trains, planes, or
automobiles. We could even discuss the stranger’s serpent-like staff, because the serpent has long been
associated with the Devil – think back to the Genesis story about the fall of Adam and Eve from the
Garden of Eden. There are other things we could discuss, too, such as the stranger’s connection to the
color black, which is often associated with evil.
So, as you can see, there is plenty of evidence to support the claim that the stranger is the Devil.
Likewise, you should have specific reasons that you believe that your thesis – that is, your debatable
claim about the text – is true.
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SLIDE 15
So, if your thesis is significant, arguable, focused, and evidence-based, what will your thesis do? First, it
will help to capture the reader’s interest; an arguable and significant thesis is inherently interesting.
Second, it will provide your essay with a clear, narrow focus. This will help prevent you from rambling on
about several different and unrelated topics. Third, it will shape the reader’s expectations of what your
paper is about. We will hear more about this when we discuss introductions, but a reader should be able
to understand what your paper is about before starting to read the second paragraph. Finally, a thesis
interprets the text for the reader. Again, it’s about making a claim about the text; the body of your
paper will then support and demonstrate how and why that claim is true.
Now, you know the four key components of a good, or SAFE, thesis statement, but let’s look at how you
can write a good thesis…
SLIDE 16
The first thing you should always do is to review the assignment. Sometimes, you will be given the
option of a couple paper topics, and these topics might basically lay out your thesis for you. But that is
not usually the case in college. One of the skills you should develop in college is the ability to analyze
things for yourself. You need to practice noticing things and developing your own thesis statements
from your observations. Even so, your assignment might restrict you in one way or another, so it’s
essential to read the assignment carefully. For example, you might only be allowed to write about
certain texts.
Next, you need to start narrowing your options. If you are allowed to choose which text to write on,
your next step will be to do that. As discussed in the Prewriting video, there are several ways you can go
about deciding on a text – reviewing your notes, doing some freewriting or brainstorming, and so on.
You can also consider questions you might have about the text. Why is Elisa crying at the end of “The
Chrysanthemums”? Because she… [insert your answer/interpretation here].
Another trick to finding a good paper topic is to read some literary criticism on the text or texts you are
considering writing about. Reading what others have said has several benefits:
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You will see what has already been said about the text (you don’t want to say the same thing
other people have already said, right? Be original!).
You can see different ways that the text can be approached – and the critics will probably point
out things that you would have never even noticed; this might spur your own thinking, and you
might build upon someone else’s argument (adding new details that strengthen the critic’s
original argument), or it might send you off in a new direction altogether.
Or, you might read something that you completely disagree with, and suddenly you have a great
direction for a paper – proving that critic wrong!
You can also look for ambiguities in the text – things that aren’t made clear by the writer. We have
already talked about a couple ambiguous things in some of our readings: were the events in “Young
Goodman Brown” real, or a dream? And, again, why was Elisa crying at the end of the story? Does she
feel trapped in a lonely, boring life, or has she realized that the tinker was just a liar and now she feels
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ashamed for wanting to leave her loving husband? Ambiguous things like these often lead to interesting
paper topics.
Finally, as mentioned before, when you notice something about the text, ask, “So what?” Carver has his
characters draw a cathedral together – so what? Well, he could have chosen a football stadium, the
Empire State Building, the Parthenon, or even a prison. Robert has never seen any of those structures.
So, why did Carver choose a cathedral? Maybe the story has something to say about the concept of
faith. If so, what does it say?
SLIDE 17
Now, there are several common topics for literary essays. Of course, you can propose a theme for a
story. We did that earlier with the Chopin story, by asking what the story says about the topic of
freedom (that is, the prospect of freedom can be as terrifying as it is liberating). You can also interpret a
symbol in a story. For example, some scholars have suggested that in “The Chrysanthemums,” the
flowers in Elisa’s garden symbolize and represent the children she has never had. You could then discuss
the reasons that interpretation might be true.
But there are other ways to write about literature. You might analyze the function of a particular
character or scene, or perhaps the function of the setting, in a story. Yes, the character Faith in “Young
Goodman Brown” might symbolize his religious faith, but you could analyze how she functions in the
story. She seems to serve as a barrier between Brown and the Devil. At first, Brown is late meeting the
stranger because, as he says, “Faith kept me back a while” (191). Then, thoughts of her make him
consider leaving the forest on a couple occasions. And, ultimately, the sight of her in the forest is what
gives him the strength to “resist the wicked one” (201). In fact, he only rushes forward into the forest
after he has seen the pink ribbon float down from the sky, and he believes, “My Faith is gone!” (197). As
with religious faith, Brown’s wife, Faith, seems to act as a barrier between him and completely giving in
to temptation.
Another way to interpret a text is to explain how certain elements of the text reflect particular aspects
of the author’s society. In my dissertation, for example, I argued that Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte
Darthur altered the legend of King Arthur to address some of the most important political concerns of
late 15th-century England. Now, this type of paper usually requires a lot of research, but if you like
history it can be a very rewarding and interesting project. An example of this type of paper from our
readings might include the setting of “Young Goodman Brown” – after all, Salem, MA still has some very
specific connotations for most Americans, and Hawthorne was probably counting on those connotations
to add an extra element to his story. Or, consider that “The Birth-Mark” is set in the 18th century. Did
Hawthorne choose to set the story then because of the Enlightenment? Does Hawthorne seem to
support or criticize the beliefs of the Enlightenment?
Okay, we’re almost finished. But first let’s look at a few more sample theses…
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SLIDE 18
“Nathaniel Hawthorne’s ‘The Birth-Mark’ shows us that we too often destroy the very thing we love by
trying to turn the good into the perfect.”
Is this a good thesis? Is it significant, arguable, focused, and evidence-based?
Is it clear? Is it more interpretive or evaluative? (By the way, most of our papers should interpret the
text, not evaluate it; we won’t be writing papers that argue that a particular text is good or bad,
interesting or boring, and so on) Is it original? [SHORT PAUSE]
Well, our textbook uses this as a sample theme in Chapter 6, and it’s not a bad thesis. It’s significant
because it suggests that the story reveals something about human nature. I’m not sure that it’s overly
debatable, so that’s one drawback. It is, however, a clear and focused statement, and I’m sure we can
find evidence in the text to support it. It does interpret the text, and doesn’t evaluate its quality. It’s not
the most original, however. Overall, it has more hits than misses here, so it’s not too bad.
SLIDE 19
What about this one: “Nathaniel Hawthorne’s ‘The Birth-Mark’ is a story about a man who kills his wife.”
[SHORT PAUSE]
No, not at all. It is merely a statement about what happens in the story. It’s a summary, not an
interpretation. It’s certainly not debatable. Avoid a thesis statement that sounds like this one.
Now, we might be able to salvage this thesis if we change the word “killed” to “murdered.” It is certainly
debatable to say that he intended to murder his wife, rather than to say that she is a victim of his ego.
SLIDE 20
“Nathaniel Hawthorne’s ‘The Birth-Mark’ is a boring story that should never be assigned to anyone to
read.” Is this a good thesis? [SHORT PAUSE]
Not really. Sure, it is debatable; it’s clear, too. But it’s more of an evaluation of the story’s artistic
quality. This is the type of comment you would expect to find in a book review, and not in a literary
essay.
SLIDE 21
Here’s another one: “In ‘The Birth-Mark,’ Hawthorne sets Aylmer up as a false God to demonstrate that,
despite all of its abilities, humanity cannot achieve ultimate goodness.”
Does this thesis pass the SAFE test? [SHORT PAUSE]
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You know what? It’s not too bad! The argument is pretty clear; it’s debatable whether or not Aylmer
should be seen as a “false god”; it is interpreting the text; and, it seems pretty original, as I’m not sure
I’ve heard this particular argument before. So, yeah… I like it.
SLIDE 22
“In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s ‘Young Goodman Brown,’ the title character’s life is changed after he spends
a night in the woods.”
No, it’s not. It basically describes the end of the story; it doesn’t really offer an interpretation of any
kind, and it’s not really debatable. Avoid this type of thesis.
SLIDE 23
How about this one? “John Steinbeck’s story ‘The Chrysanthemums’ is about alien abductions.”
Um… well, it’s original. But is it an evidence-based thesis? I doubt it. Okay, yes, there is that scene on
page 444 where Elisa says, “When the night is dark – why, the stars are sharp-pointed, and there’s quiet.
Why, you rise up and up! Every pointed star gets driven into your body. It’s like that. Hot and sharp and
– lovely.” But, still… in a future video, we’ll talk about how to evaluate evidence, and I don’t think this is
enough evidence to suggest that Elisa is talking about an alien abduction here. And I don’t think you
could find much other evidence in the story to support this reading, either.
SLIDE 24
Anyway, today we’ve talked a lot about thesis statements. We learned about the four main qualities of a
good thesis statement – it should be significant, arguable, focused, and evidence-based. We also talked
about what a thesis does – how it can capture the reader’s interest, provide focus, shape the reader’s
expectations, and interpret the text.
We also discussed how you can write a good thesis statement, and discussed several good and bad
examples.
SLIDE 25
The main sources for this lecture were our Norton textbook, and Dr. Bill Alves’s Harvey Mudd College
website.