DEVELOPING
THE THESIS STATEMENT
Honors 102 • Dr. Klodt
THE THESIS STATEMENT
What does a thesis statement accomplish?
A thesis statement…
…establishes the goal your writing will achieve
…proves a specific argument to your reader
…anticipates your reader’s questions How? + Why?
…forecasts your interpretation to your reader
THE THESIS STATEMENT
What is it?
A thesis is a specific interpretation you will
show or prove to your reader.
• A thesis transcends obvious + common
knowledge.
• You write about a theme (e.g.: the role of money),
but you show or prove a thesis (e.g.: the indictment
of the American Dream for its inherent materialism).
• The analytical essay comes full circle, connecting the
interpretation (conclusion) back to the thesis
(introduction).
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THE THESIS STATEMENT
How do I start? Some strategies…
Free Writing: Write non-stop for 10 minutes
whatever comes to mind. No filters, no editing.
• Brainstorming: List everything you think about
your topic. No organizing, just let your ideas flow.
• Mind Mapping: Write topic in the center of
paper, write related ideas, draw arrows + branches
to show relationships + comparisons/contrasts
• Questioning: What questions would someone
have about your topic? Who + What + Where +
When + Why + How?
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THE THESIS STATEMENT
Writing a thesis statement is a process.
Writing a thesis statement takes time +
effort + multiple drafts.
If you write a thesis statement quickly and
blithely, your essay will inevitably be
superficial and will earn a poor grade.
Translation: !"#$!
The Godfather (1972)
The Godfather II (1974)
THE THESIS STATEMENT
Brainstorming…
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The first two Godfather films
(Ironic) celebration of criminality
Audience’s attraction/repulsion: We admire the Corleone family,
but we fear and despise them
Our fascination with power, the moxie to do anything you want
Freedom? A metonym for America? Or an ironic metonym,
considering the extreme violence guaranteeing “freedom”
The contrast between freedom + lawlessness
Success as moral sanitizer (The Corleone family “wins” so we
idolize them despite our moral repugnance)
The definition of America (1st line of film: “I believe in America”),
suggests national implications
The moral façade of business: Money & Power over Ethics
THE THESIS STATEMENT
A thesis is a process, so…
Write+Edit+Rewrite+Edit+Rewrite+Edit+Rewrite
Draft 1: Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather (1972)
and The Godfather II (1974) question post-World War II
American moral superiority by elevating mafia gangsters
to anti-heroes and by celebrating their exorbitant, lawless
lifestyle.
But it’s only a topic: What am I going to prove about
this portrayal of criminality. How do I interpret this
celebration of lawlessness? What does it mean?
THE THESIS STATEMENT
The Evolution of a Thesis
Draft 2: Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather
(1972) and The Godfather II (1974) challenge 20th
century American exceptionalism and moral
superiority by idolizing the criminal underworld’s
wealth and power. By encouraging the spectator to
identify with gangsters, these films show the danger
of moral flexibility.
But I need to go deeper! What meanings are
suggested by “the danger of moral flexibility?”
THE THESIS STATEMENT
The Evolution of a Thesis
Draft 3: Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather (1972) and The
Godfather II (1974) challenge 20th century American moral
superiority by idolizing members of the criminal underworld as
anti-heroes. By guiding the spectator to identify with criminals,
these films show how morality is not absolute but is ultimately
flexible because of the seduction of economic success. Thus by
subverting ethics to economic power, the Godfather films indict
their own audience—American society—by showing the
avarice and corruption inherent in the American Dream.
Yes! A successful thesis.
Don Corleone
Approves