2017/06/05
ThePurdueOnlineWri�ngLab(OWL)
ENGL100Wri�ngSeminar2
Cra�ingEffec�veThesisStatements
h�ps://owl.english.purdue.edu/
  TipsandExamplesforWri�ng
ThesisStatements:General
Wri�ng>TheWri�ngProcess>
Crea�ngaThesisStatement
  DevelopingStrongThesis
Statements:GeneralWri�ng>
AcademicWri�ng>Establishing
Arguments
  DevelopingaThesisforaLiterary
Paper:Subject-SpecificWri�ng>
Wri�nginLiterature>Wri�ng
AboutFic�on
ThesisStatement
WhatIsaThesisStatement?
  Athesisstatementisasinglesentencethatclearlyandconciselyindicates
thecentralargumentofanEssay.
  Athesisstatementisnotthesamethingasatopic:
–  itmustbeargumenta�ve,
–  itmusttakeaclearposi�ononsomesignificantissue,and
–  itmustanswertheques�ons“Why?”and/or“How?”andnotjust
“What?”.
  Athesisstatementshouldbecharacterizedallfourof“TheFourS’s”:
–  significant,
–  single,
–  specific,and
–  supportable
  Athesisstatementisasinglesentencethatclearlyandconciselyindicates
thecentralargumentofanEssay:
–  itcansome�mesbetwosentencesinlongerEssays,butonesentence
issufficientforthe1000-wordEssaysinENGL100;
–  itprovidesananswertoaques�on,asolu�ontoaproblem,and/ora
statementthattakesaclearposi�ononadebatabletopic;
–  itar�culatesthemainargumentofanEssay,whichthebodyofthe
Essaywillgoontodissectanddefendinitssub-arguments.
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2017/06/05
TopicsvsThesisStatements
  Topics
–  discursiveordescrip�ve
–  broadandgeneral
–  answerstheques�on
“What?”
  ThesisStatements
–  argumenta�veordebatable
–  narrowandconcise
–  answerstheques�ons
“Why?”and/or“How?”
ThesisTests
  The“SoWhat?”Test
–  Ifthethesisstatement
promptstheques�on,“So
What?”fromatheore�cal
reader,itisprobably
insufficientlyargumenta�ve.
–  Itmaymeanthatthethesis
statementhasnottakenan
iden�fiableposi�onona
salientissueintheliterary
text.
  TheCounterargumentTest
–  Ifthereisnoapparentvalid
counterargumenttothe
thesisstatement,itis
probablyinsufficiently
argumenta�ve.
–  Itmaymeanthatthethesis
statementistoodescrip�ve,
discursive,orfactual,rather
thantrulyargumenta�veor
debatable.
“TheFourS’s”
  Significant
–  Aneffec�vethesisstatementshoulddealwithanimportantorsalient
problemorissueintheliterarytext(s)underconsidera�on.
  Single
–  Aneffec�vethesisstatementshouldconsideroneproblemorissue
only,ratherthana�empttoconsidermul�pleproblemsorissues.
  Specific
–  Aneffec�vethesisstatementshouldconsiderasnarrow,concise,and
specificaproblemorissueaspossible,ratherthana�emptto
consideravague,open-ended,orgeneralizedproblemorissue.
  Supportable
–  Aneffec�vethesisstatementshouldbedefensiblethroughevidence
fromtheliterarytext(s)underconsidera�on.
ENGL100Essay1Topic1
1.  Se�ng:Considerthesignificanceofthese�ngofTheHandmaid’sTaleor
Frankenstein.Howisthese�ngdescribed,andhowdoesitaffectthe
storybeingtold?Howdoesthenoveldepictcontras�ng�mesorplaces?
Isthereapar�cularscene,oracertainplaceorseriesofplaces,thathave
apar�cularfunc�onorsignificanceinthenovel?
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2017/06/05
Dra�Theses1aand1b
✗ How does Atwood use setting in The Handmaid’s Tale?
  Avoidphrasingathesisstatementasaques�on.Aneffec�vethesis
statementshouldprovideaspecificanswertoaques�on,notposea
ques�on.
✗ This essay will examine how Atwood uses setting in The Handmaid’s Tale.
  Avoidphrasessuchas“Thisessaywill…”,astheycons�tutesignpos�ng,
tellingthereader“outloud”whattheEssaywilldoatsomeunspecified
pointinthefuture.
  Avoidwordssuchas“why”and“how.”Athesisstatementshouldanswer
theseques�ons,notjustindicatethemasvagueorundefinedpointsof
focus.
Dra�Thesis3
✗ Atwood uses familiar settings in The Handmaid’s Tale.
  Applythe“SoWhat?”Test
–  Yes,Atwooddoesusefamiliarse�ngsinthenovel,but“Sowhat?”.
Whyisitsignificantorrevealingthatsheusesthem?
  ApplytheCounterargumentTest
–  Tosuggestthecounterargument,thatAtwoodusesunfamiliarse�ngs
inthenovel,isinvalidbecauseitisuntrue.Itispatentlyobviousthat
sheusesfamiliarse�ngsthroughoutthenovel.
  Conclusion
–  Dra�thesis3isinsufficientlyconciseandargumenta�ve.
Dra�Thesis2
✗ Setting is a significant element in Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale.
  Applythe“SoWhat?”Test
–  Yes,se�ngdoesappeartobeasignificantelementinthenovel,but
“Sowhat?”.Whatlargerthemeorpreoccupa�ondoesthis
significancepointto?Whatdoes“significant”evenmean?
  ApplytheCounterargumentTest
–  Tosuggestthecounterargument,thatse�ngisaninsignificant
elementinthenovel,isprobablyinvalid,asse�ngalmostalways
playsanimportantroleinfic�on.
  Conclusion
–  Dra�thesis2isvagueandobserva�onalratherthanconciseand
argumenta�ve.
Dra�Thesis4
✗ Atwood uses familiar settings in The Handmaid’s Tale to make a powerful
statement about repressive political regimes in the modern western world.
  Applythe“SoWhat?”Test
–  Yes,Atwooddoesusefamiliarse�ngsinthenoveltomakea
statement,but“Sowhat?”.What,exactly,isthatstatement?
  ApplytheCounterargumentTest
–  Tosuggestthecounterargument,thatAtwoodusesfamiliarse�ngsto
makeaweakstatementaboutpoli�calregimes,isinvalidbecauseit
turnsonavaluejudgementaboutthequalityofAtwood’sstatement.
  Conclusion
–  Dra�Thesis4makessomethingofanargument,butitiss�ll
somewhatvagueandunclearbecauseitleavesundefinedwhat
Atwood’s“powerfulstatement”is.
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2017/06/05
Dra�Thesis5
✓Atwood uses familiar, domestic settings in The Handmaid’s Tale to suggest
that the institution of a repressive political regime is a real possibility in the
modern western world, rather than the stuff of science fiction.
  Applythe“SoWhat?”Test
–  Thethesispassesthe“SoWhat?”Testbecauseitadvancesaconcrete
reasonwhyAtwoodusesfamiliarse�ngsinthenovel.
  ApplytheCounterargumentTest
–  ThethesispassestheCounterargumentTestbecauseanothercri�c
couldpoten�allyadvanceadifferent,equallyvalidreasonforwhy
Atwoodusesfamiliarse�ngsinthenovel.
  Conclusion
–  Dra�thesis5isastrongthesisbecauseitisconciseand
argumenta�ve.
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