©2016 Bespoke ELA
Step One:
Parts of the Thesis Statement
The thesis statement is undoubtedly the MOST important sentence of your entire essay! It serves as the blueprint, or road
map, for your essay, so it is crucial that your thesis statement is clear and logical before beginning the body of the essay. A
fully developed thesis statement has two basic parts. These parts can span across one to two sentences, but the thesis
statement must have these two parts in order to construct a clear outline for the direction of the essay. As a rule, the thesis
should always appear as the last part of the introduction paragraph to establish the essay’s purpose for the reader.
Part 1: Claim. This is the part of the thesis statement that contains your opinion, which for the literary
analysis essay, is your interpretation of the piece of literature. This interpretation should come in the form of a
theme statement and should be universal. (more to come on theme statements in the next mini-lesson)
Example Claims:
Love leads to loss.
Ambition leads to corruption.
Lack of enforcing laws leads to corrupt values.
Part 2: Evidence. This is the part of the thesis statement in which you mention the specific pieces of
evidence you will discuss to PROVE your CLAIM. For the literary analysis essay, the evidence should include 2-3
literary elements or literary techniques. These include devices such as characterization, symbolism, allegories, writing
style, use of metaphor, diction, imagery, conflict, etc. It is important that the evidence is listed in the ORDER OF
THE ESSAY so that the thesis statement outlines the body paragraphs.
Practice: Read the following thesis statements. For each one, underline the claim and circle the evidence.
1.
Ambition without morals leads to destruction as shown through the characters of Macbeth and Lady
Macbeth in Shakespeare’s play The Tragedy of Macbeth.
2.
Judging someone based upon appearances leads to false accusations as shown by comparing and
contrasting how Beowulf reacts to the monster Grendel in the epic poem Beowulf and John Gardner’s
novel Grendel.
3.
In William Golding’s novel Lord of the Flies, the symbol of the conch shell and the allegorical characters
of Ralph and Jack depict how democratic ideals cannot function without enforcement of those ideals.
4.
Ayn Rand’s writing typically focuses on the necessity for identity as a fulfillment of life’s purpose, and
her novella Anthem proves this concept through the symbol of Equality’s secret diary and his internal
dialogue.
5.
Tennyson’s poem “Ulysses” reveals the theme that settling for a quiet, unadventurous life does not lead
to fulfillment as shown through the narrator’s tone and use of metaphor.
©2016 Bespoke ELA
understanding Parts of the
Thesis Statement
Directions: Combine the following theme statements and pieces of evidence to create sample thesis statements.
#1)
Claim: Living in society leads to inevitable corruption.
Evidence: The symbol of soma in Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World and the character Bernard Marx
Thesis Statement:
#2)
Claim: Keeping secrets leads to destruction.
Evidence: The character Elinor Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen/ the character Hester Prynne in The
Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Thesis Statement:
#3)
Claim: Attempting to control fate only leads to disappointment.
Evidence: The motif of fate in William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet and the resolution of the play that ends
with the deaths of both title characters
Thesis Statement:
#4)
Claim: Blindly accepting traditions leads to the destruction of morals.
Evidence: The climax of the Shirley Jackson’s short story “The Lottery” and tone of the villagers’ dialogue
Thesis Statement:
#5)
Claim: Civil disobedience leads to a clear conscience.
Evidence: The characterization of Huck Finn in Mark Twain’s novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and his
decision to help his slave friend
Thesis Statement:
Homework: Print out song lyrics to one of your favorite songs and try writing a thesis statement in which you reveal your
interpretation of the song using both a claim and evidence. Be prepared to share with groups tomorrow in class.
©2016 Bespoke ELA
Step two: topic vs. theme
I understand the parts of the thesis statement… so now what? In order to get started with creating theme
statements for the literary analysis essay, you must first understand the difference between a topic and a theme.
They are NOT THE SAME THING—despite what popular student websites and abridged publications may say.
To begin, a TOPIC = a single word or phrase such as “love.”
But a THEME = a full sentence with a VERB such as “love leads to loss.”
Notice the difference? The problem with only writing about a topic is that a single word is VERY BROAD. What
exactly does the play say about love? Love is a very BROAD TOPIC! It is an error to say, “William Shakespeare’s
play Romeo and Juliet is about the theme love.” Love is NOT A THEME. It is a TOPIC.
You need to focus your claim/ argument by narrowing the topic to a specific theme statement—otherwise, your
ENTIRE ESSAY WILL BE UNFOCUSED, AND YOU MIGHT DIGRESS FROM BEGINNING TO END.
Let’s practice!
Directions: Match the following topics to the theme statements that correspond to each one.
1. Love
A. Restricted expression leads to rebellion.
2. Ambition
B. Greed leads to downfall.
3. Friendship
C. Conflicted identity leads to experimentation.
4. Censorship
D. Facing obstacles creates strength of character.
5. Individuality
E. Attempting to avoid death leads to missing out on life.
6. Identity
F. Dishonesty among friends causes paranoia.
7. Hardship
G. Love leads to loss.
8. Greed
H. Unchecked ambition leads to corruption.
9. Death
I. Temptation leads to flawed discernment.
10. Temptation
J. Expressing one’s individuality leads to fulfillment in life.
Homework: Write five possible theme statements for the topic of love. Be prepared to share these statements
with the class tomorrow.
©2016 Bespoke ELA
writing arguable theme
statements
The argument part of a thesis is called the claim. This should be what you are trying to prove in your essay, which is a theme
statement for the literary analysis essay. Therefore, the claim, or theme statement, has to have a strong argument so that you
can make a case for it, which means that the claim should be stated such that someone could and would disagree with it. An
obvious statement that no one would disagree with is not worth exploring in a literary analysis essay and needs to be revised
because it limits discussion within the body paragraphs and only leads to shallow analysis. For example, “everyone dies” is
not an argument worth exploring because it’s a factual statement that no one would disagree with. It should be revised into a
more argumentative theme statement.
You may have noticed that many of the example claims used in these mini-lessons have been worded in a “leads to” format.
By using this structure for the theme statement, you are taking the theme beyond the obvious and narrowing it into a more
focused, arguable claim. The “leads to” strategy prevents you, the writer, from beginning with too shallow a claim and also
gives you a cause/ effect structure that is helpful in formatting your essay.
For example, the theme statement “ambition leads to corruption” as an interpretation of Shakespeare’s play Macbeth helps to
outline the essay into two parts: 1) how the character shows ambition, 2) how ambition becomes corrupt. Using this
structure will help to keep your argument focused and also prevent digression from the original claim.
For this essay, you will be expected to word the claim/ theme statement part of your literary analysis essay in the “leads to”
format in your rough draft. This is a great strategy that will help you to quickly organize the direction of your essay, which is
quite helpful under time constraints on exams such as the SAT, ACT, AP, and the PARCC. You can change this wording
later on during the revision/editing stages of the writing process.
Let’s try it!
Directions: Consider the following claims. They are flawed because they are obvious statements that will only lead to
obvious analysis. Revise them to make them more “arguable” by using the “leads to” format.
1. Death is inevitable.
Revised Claim: (What does the inevitability of death lead to?)
2. Evil exists in the world.
Revised Claim: (What does the presence of evil in the world lead to?)
3. Temptation means wanting something.
Revised Claim: (What does temptation lead to?)
4. Don’t judge a book by its cover. (super cliché and too elementary for an academic essay)
Revised Claim: (What does judging someone based upon appearances lead to?)
5. Stereotypes can be true.
Revised Claim: (What does stereotyping lead to?)
©2016 Bespoke ELA
brainstorming theme statements
For the literary analysis essay, the claim of the thesis statement should focus on your interpretation of one of the
author’s themes. Essentially, literary analysis is about answering the question, “What do you think the piece of
literature is all about?” Your answer to this question should be a theme statement, and this theme statement is
your opinion/ argument about the piece of literature. To come up with this thematic claim, or theme statement,
you should first brainstorm a list of topics (single word ideas) that you see communicated in the piece of
literature. For example, some topics in Macbeth include: appearances, betrayal, the supernatural, and ambition.
After brainstorming topics, it is crucial that you then break the topics into theme statements. Remember that a
topic is NOT a theme. It is NOT enough to say that Macbeth is about “ambition” because that is too broad. You
must, instead, narrow the topic to reflect what you think the play says about ambition. So, what does the play
Macbeth say about ambition? A possible thematic claim, or theme statement, for ambition in Macbeth might be:
“Ambition leads to corruption.”
Note that when breaking the topic into a theme, it is not enough to simply state something obvious such as,
“Ambition is in the world.” This statement is true and cannot serve as an arguable claim, so it needs to be revised
into an arguable claim. You can do this using the “leads to” format as discussed previously. Remember that the
artists themselves are trying to convey thematic claims through their work. Your job is to attempt to decipher for
yourself what that thematic claim (or message) might be.
Directions: Select a piece of literature that we have read this year and brainstorm a list of at least five topics
(single words/ ideas) and corresponding claims, or theme statements (complete sentences), that are communicated
through that piece of literature. Be sure to word your claims in an arguable way by using the “leads to” format.
See the sample Topics/ Themes list on the next page as a model to create your own list. After breaking the topics
into themes and wording them in the “leads to” format, ask yourself, “Which thematic claim does the piece of
literature MOSTLY communicate? Which theme statement do I think this piece of literature is MOSTLY about?”
Circle it! This will become the claim of your thesis statement, which means that half of your thesis for your
literary analysis essay is already complete! Hooray!!
Piece of Literature (title and author): _______________________________________
Topics
Claims/ Theme Statements
#1)
#2)
#3)
#4)
#5)
©2016 Bespoke ELA
sample topics/themes list:
Macbeth
Topics
Topic to Theme
Statement
Claims/ Theme
Statements
Secrets
What does the play Macbeth say
about secrets?
Keeping secrets leads to the
destruction of morals.
Murder
What does the play Macbeth say
about murder?
Murder leads to chaos and to more
unresolved conflict.
Fear
What does the play Macbeth say
about fear?
Fear leads to irrational decisions.
Temptation
What does the play Macbeth say
about temptation?
Temptation leads to downfall.
Power
What does the play Macbeth say
about power?
Seeking power only leads to
destruction and ultimately downfall.
Guilt
What does the play Macbeth say
about guilt?
A guilty conscience leads to insanity.
Appearances
What does the play Macbeth say
about appearances?
Judging someone based upon
appearances only leads to downfall.
Ambition
What does the play Macbeth say
about ambition?
Unchecked ambition leads to the
corruption of morals.
Disillusionment
What does the play Macbeth say
about disillusionment?
Accomplishing a goal leads to
disillusionment.
As you can see, a complex piece of literature has many different possible interpretations—especially with an
author such as Shakespeare. There are even MORE possible theme statements where these came from!
Remember that while your literary interpretation can be wrong, there are oftentimes many ways to be right.
The next step in the process is to select ONE of the theme statements from the list. Which theme statement do
you think the piece of literature is MOSTLY about? The answer to this question will become the claim of your
thesis statement!
©2016 Bespoke ELA
answer key and modifications for Steps One & Two
a.
1.
Ambition without morals leads to destruction as shown through the characters of Macbeth and Lady
Macbeth in Shakespeare’s play The Tragedy of Macbeth.
2.
Judging someone based upon appearances leads to false accusations as shown by comparing and
contrasting how Beowulf reacts to the monster Grendel in the epic poem Beowulf and John Gardner’s
novel Grendel.
3.
In William Golding’s novel Lord of the Flies, the symbol of the conch shell and the allegorical characters
of Ralph and Jack depict how democratic ideals cannot function without enforcement of those ideals.
4.
Ayn Rand’s writing typically focuses on the necessity for identity as a fulfillment of life’s purpose, and
her novella Anthem proves this concept through the symbol of Equality’s secret diary and his internal
dialogue.
5.
Tennyson’s poem “Ulysses” reveals the theme that settling for a quiet, unadventurous life does not lead
to fulfillment as shown through the narrator’s tone and use of metaphor.
Modifications
1.
Give students the sentences from the key with underlining and circling already complete and ask them to identify which part is
the claim (theme statement) and which part is the evidence.
2.
Give students more simplistic examples using popular music, children’s books, and or films (i.e. familiar content) to work with at
first.
Give only one example to a group of students and have them discuss which parts are the claim/ theme statement and evidence to share
with the entire class.
b.
#1)
Claim: Living in society leads to inevitable corruption.
Evidence: The symbol of soma in Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World and the character of Bernard Marx
Thesis Statement:
Living in society leads to inevitable corruption as shown through the symbol of soma and the character Bernard Marx in
Aldous Huxley’s novel Brave New World.
©2016 Bespoke ELA
answer key and modifications
#2)
Claim: Keeping secrets leads to destruction.
Evidence: The character Elinor Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen/ the character Hester Prynne in The Scarlet Letter
by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Thesis Statement:
Both Elinor Dashwood of Jane Austen’s novel Sense and Sensibility and Hester Prynne of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet
Letter prove that keeping secrets leads to destruction.
#3)
Claim: Attempting to control fate only leads to disappointment.
Evidence: The motif of fate in William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet and the resolution of the play that ends with the deaths
of both title characters
Thesis Statement:
William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet shows that attempting to control fate only leads to disappointment. Shakespeare
evidences this concept through the motif of fate and the resolution of the play that ends with the deaths of both title
characters.
#4)
Claim: Blindly accepting traditions leads to the destruction of morals.
Evidence: The climax of the Shirley Jackson’s short story “The Lottery” and tone of the villagers’ dialogue
Thesis Statement:
Blindly accepting traditions leads to the destruction of morals as shown in Shirley Jackson’s short story “The Lottery” through
the climax of the story and the tone of the villagers’ dialogue.
#5)
Claim: Civil disobedience leads to a clear conscience.
Evidence: The characterization of Huck Finn in Mark Twain’s novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and his decision to help his
slave friend
Thesis Statement:
Mark Twain’s novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn reveals that civil disobedience leads to a clear conscience as shown
through the characterization of Huck Finn and his decision to help his slave friend.
Modifications
1.
2.
Give groups of students only one of the examples to construct and share with the class.
Similar to mini-lesson 6a, give students the completed thesis statements and have them identify the claim and evidence.
c.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Love
Ambition
Friendship
Censorship
Individuality
Identity
Hardship
Greed
Death
Temptation
A. Love leads to loss.
B. Unchecked ambition leads to corruption.
C. Dishonesty among friends causes paranoia.
D. Restricted expression leads to rebellion.
E. Expressing one’s individuality leads to fulfillment in life.
F. Conflicted identity leads to experimentation.
G. Facing obstacles creates strength of character.
H. Greed leads to downfall.
I. Attempting to avoid death leads to missing out on life.
J. Temptation leads to flawed discernment.
Modifications
1.
2.
3.
Have students complete the activity in groups.
Give students the answer key and have them select one theme statement to explain to the class how the theme relates to the
topic.
Have students complete the homework assignment using the topic “love” in lieu of doing the matching.
©2016 Bespoke ELA
answer key & modifications
d.
(Answers will vary, but here are some options)
1.
Death is inevitable.
Revised Claim: The inevitability of death leads to paranoia and isolation.
2.
Evil exists in the world.
Revised Claim: The presence of evil in the world leads to paranoia.
3.
Temptation means wanting something.
Revised Claim: Temptation leads to clouded discernment.
4.
Don’t judge a book by its cover. (Super cliché and too elementary for an academic essay)
Revised Claim: Judging someone based upon appearances leads to downfall.
5.
Stereotypes can be true.
Revised Claim: Stereotypes lead to misunderstanding a person’s intentions and ultimately downfall.
Modifications
1.
This activity can prove quite challenging until students get the hang of it, so you might put students into groups and give each
group only one statement to work on and then share with the class.
2.
Since the “leads to” format deals with cause and effect, you might go through these statements with the entire class, guiding
them through the thought process of what each topic causes.
3.
Give students the completed statements and have them explain the implied cause and effect of each one.
e.
For these mini-lessons, students’ topic/themes list and evidence brainstorming will vary greatly. It is best to have students share in small
groups and then as an entire class. I typically write students’ topics and theme statements on the board as well as their evidence
brainstorming as they share and have students add to their own charts and lists. I oftentimes check these charts and lists for class
participation grades. Students must select one, single claim/ theme statement before moving on to the next mini-lessons! If a student
does NOT have a claim by this point, that student SHOULD NOT MOVE ON TO THE NEXT MINI-LESSON. This may mean
going back and doing some more sharing in class and/or having that student come in for tutoring. When a student does not have a clear
“road map”/ thesis statement for the essay, the entire essay could turn out to be a disaster, which sets the student up for failure. So,
before moving on, make sure that ALL students have a solid claim.
Modifications
1.
For students that are really struggling, sometimes it is better to give them a theme statement to use as a claim instead of having
them brainstorm their own. This will help them to stay focused on a clear argument, which will affect the rest of the essay.
2.
You might give students a topics/ themes chart already completed (like the Macbeth sample chart) and have students discuss in
small groups which theme they want to choose for the essay and why.
©2016 Bespoke ELA
step three:
adding evidence to the claim
At this point in the brainstorming process, I have a claim/ theme statement for my thesis… so
now what?
The literary analysis essay requires evidence in order to prove the claim. For literary analysis, your
primary source of evidence is the piece of literature that is being analyzed in the essay. The types
of evidence you use to prove your claim (or your interpretation of the piece’s theme) include
literary elements such as character, plot, conflict, style, and point of view as well as literary
techniques such as irony, metaphor, simile, symbolism, repetition, etc. As a rule of thumb, you
will need 2-3 strong pieces of evidence to support your claim. It is always better to have more
than one piece of evidence to convince anyone of anything. Think about it: wouldn’t an attorney
need more than one piece of evidence to convince a jury that his client is not guilty? The same
goes for the literary analysis essay. Thus, you should aim to provide 2-3 pieces of evidence in
order to prove your claim is true.
So, how do you go about selecting your evidence? Just as an attorney has to sift through the
evidence and select the most convincing pieces (DNA evidence, fingerprints, eye-witness
accounts, video footage, etc.), you have to do the same thing. You have to “sift” through the
evidence, which first requires gathering materials. Once you have gathered your materials
(elements and techniques), you can begin the process of selecting the strongest pieces of
evidence. For the literary analysis essay, “gathering your materials” includes reviewing any class
discussions, quizzes, writing assignments, class activities, and projects you have completed about
the piece of literature as well as reading and rereading the original piece of literature! While we
are studying literature, we are “gathering evidence” (just like DNA, fingerprints, etc.) to use in the
essay.
After gathering evidence, how do you go about deciding which evidence to show the reader?
Good question! It all starts with the CLAIM. Using your selected claim from the previous
lessons, you can then “sift” through the evidence and select the evidence that most effectively
proves your claim. Your pieces of evidence should appear in the thesis statement, so before you
ever start writing body paragraphs, you should have an idea of which pieces of evidence to use
and how to use them. Remember that a fully developed thesis statement is the essay “road map”
that tells you where to go in the body of the essay. This means that you must first consider
possible evidence before drafting a thesis statement. In the mini-lessons that follow, you will
brainstorm possible evidence that you will use to prove your thematic claim.
©2016 Bespoke ELA
adding evidence to the claim
An example of this process for a literary analysis essay on Macbeth is below:
Piece of Literature: Macbeth
Selected Claim: Ambition leads to corruption.
Possible Evidence to Select from:
1. Characterization of Macbeth- changes from noble hero to ruthless murderer due to ambition
2. Characterization of Lady Macbeth- goes from corrupt to crazy
3. Plot- the main character goes from protecting his country to betraying his king due to his
ambition
4. Conflict- appearances vs. reality
5. Symbolism- the bloody dagger symbolizes Macbeth’s guilty conscience and his corruption
6. Dramatic Irony—shows appearances are not what they seem
Now ask, which pieces of evidence best communicates the claim: “Ambition leads to corruption?”
Reflection: I see that the characterization of Macbeth and the plot essentially communicate the
same idea about ambition, so I can combine those two into one point, and since the same idea is
repeated, that tells me that those ideas are definitely important and that I should definitely include them
in my evidence. I see that the symbol of the dagger also repeats the same idea of Macbeth’s change from
a leader to a corrupt dictator. Now, I know for sure that Shakespeare seems to be up to something about
ambition and corruption because it keeps coming up! Since the idea is repeated yet again, I think I will
definitely use that dagger! So, now I have two pieces of evidence: the characterization of Macbeth and
the symbol of the dagger. What about the other evidence? The characterization of Lady Macbeth has
more to do with insanity than just ambition, so I will take that one out because it will take my essay in
another direction that I don’t want to go in with this essay. I want to stay focused on “ambition leads to
corruption.” And it seems like the conflict and the dramatic irony are more about appearances, which
isn’t my focused claim, so I’ll take those out, too. What am I left with? I’m left with two pieces of
evidence that clearly communicate my claim: the characterization of Macbeth and the symbol of the
dagger. Now, I am ready to write a fully developed thesis statement!
©2016 Bespoke ELA
brainstorming
character evidence
Directions: In the spaces provided below, brainstorm two essential conflicts in the piece of literature you are analyzing
that support your claim/ theme statement.
Piece of Literature: _______________________________________________
Claim/ Theme Statement: __________________________________________
Conflicts
#1) Man vs. Self
Connection
Textual Evidence
How does each conflict support or connect
to your claim? Explain.
Find two quotations to support how each
conflict supports your claim.
Quotation #1)
Quotation #2)
#2) Man vs.
Society
Quotation #1)
Quotation #2)
Reflection
Which conflict do you think BETTER proves your claim? Put a start beside it and explain your selection.
©2016 Bespoke ELA
brainstorming
literary techniques as evidence
Directions: In the spaces provided below, brainstorm three literary techniques used in the piece of literature you are analyzing that
support your claim/ theme statement. Select literary techniques from the following list (note that not every piece of literature uses ALL
of these techniques).
Literary Techniques:
tone, irony, symbolism, simile, metaphor, personification, allusion, flashback, flash forward, motif, repetition,
contrast, foreshadowing, plot twist, allegory, hyperbole, satire, or imagery
Piece of Literature: _______________________________________________
Claim/ Theme Statement: __________________________________________
Literary Techniques
Find three literary techniques used in the
piece of literature that support your claim.
#1)
Textual Evidence
Find two quotations that contain each
literary technique.
Connection
How does each literary technique support
or connect to your claim? Explain.
Quotation #1)
Quotation #2)
#2)
Quotation #1)
Quotation #2)
#3)
Quotation #1)
Quotation #2)
Reflection
Which literary technique do you think BEST proves your claim? Put a star beside it and explain your selection.
©2016 Bespoke ELA
answer key & modifications for Step Three
Quotations and lists of evidence will vary greatly from student-to-student. You can have students complete these
charts individually or in groups, share with small groups, or with the entire class. As students share their textual
evidence, all students should be adding to their charts and increasing their “bank” of potential quotations to use in
the essay. This allows students the opportunity to practice their speaking skills as they explain why they chose a
particular quotation and how it relates to their claim. Keep in mind that even if students have different claims,
they may still be able to use similar quotations—just explained in different ways—so adding textual evidence to
their charts will help them throughout the writing process.
Modifications
For students who are really struggling with the evidence selection process, you might give struggling students a list
of possible evidence to use and have them select 2-3 items to use from that list instead of having them brainstorm
their own. As students become more adept at the writing process, this will all become much easier. But, you may
have to play a larger role in helping them shape the thesis statement at first. Eventually, after repeating this
process many times over, students will understand it much better and be able to work more independently on
crafting the thesis statement.
As a side note, for EVERY SINGLE PIECE OF LITERATURE my students study (poem, story, song, novel,
film, painting, etc.), I have them complete a Topics/ Themes chart and a list of evidence. They compile these
brainstorming guides in a spiral called the Writer’s Notebook, but you can also have students keep them in their
writing folders. You can even have students complete these brainstorming guides for outside reading. Then, when
it comes time to write an essay, I allow students to select from any of the pieces we’ve studied, and they get to go
back to their Topics/ Themes charts and evidence brainstorming to select their own arguments.
Any time a student can have this kind of choice in what they write, the more motivated they are to complete the
process. But, again, this is a process that takes practice and repetition in order for students to feel more
comfortable with it. Ultimately, this process sets students up to write an essay WITHOUT A PROMPT. By the
end of the school year, I can tell my students, “Write an essay,” and they know what to do. They don’t need a
prompt from me.
©2016 Bespoke ELA
Step four: putting the thesis
statement together
By now, you should have a claim for your thesis statement, and you should have brainstormed four pieces of
possible evidence to support your claim. Now, it is DECISION TIME! Out of the four pieces of evidence that
you have brainstormed, which THREE pieces of evidence do you think MOST STRONGLY SUPPORT your
claim? Another way to look at it—which three pieces of evidence do you feel most confident about exploring,
explaining, and analyzing in the essay? In the spaces provided below, list the three pieces of evidence that you
want to include in your literary analysis essay. Refer back to your brainstorming exercises in the previous minilessons in order to make your final selections. (Yes, this means you are THROWING OUT one piece of evidence
that you have previously brainstormed, but having options is a “good thing!”).
Evidence
#1)
#2)
#3)
Now, consider how you will ORDER the evidence in your essay. As a rule of thumb, it is always best to order the
evidence as follows: Strongest Evidence (Body Paragraph #1), Weakest Evidence (Body Paragraph #2), and 2nd
Strongest Evidence (Body Paragraph #3).
So, look back at your list of evidence above and decide which evidence is the strongest, weakest and 2nd strongest.
Then, write the body paragraph number next to that piece of evidence. This is important because you will list
your evidence in your final thesis statement in the EXACT ORDER that it will appear in the body of the essay.
By doing this, you are outlining the main points of your essay for your reader and establishing their reading
expectations. This strategy will also help you, the writer, to keep your ideas organized throughout the writing
process.
The Thesis Statement
It is now time to put your entire thesis statement together! You have ARRIVED! This is THE MOMENT you
have been waiting for! A thesis statement is no joke! It takes quite a bit of work to develop one that is clear,
logical, and argumentative. The thesis statement is THE ROAD MAP of your entire essay, so this is why we have
spent so much time putting it together.
©2016 Bespoke ELA
putting the thesis statement
together
Directions: Review the sample thesis statements below and then write your own, original thesis statement in
the spaces provided. Be sure to include the TITLE of the piece of literature, the AUTHOR’S FULL NAME, the
CLAIM and, of course, the EVIDENCE in the order you have decided upon.
Sample Thesis Statement #1)
Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness reveals that a departure from civilization leads to barbaric behavior as shown
through the symbol of the river, the imagery of the Middle Station, and Marlowe’s descent into madness.
Sample Thesis Statement #2)
A lack of balance between sense and sensibility leads to disappointment as shown in Jane Austen’s Sense and
Sensibility through the propriety of Elinor Dashwood, the romantic nature of Margaret Dashwood, and the
resolution of the novel.
Sample Thesis Statement #3)
Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken” proves that choosing the easier path in life leads to disappointment
as shown through the imagery of the two roads, the narrator’s plan to lie in the future as well as the narrator’s tone
shift.
Your turn! Write your thesis statement in the space provided below using the above samples as models:
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©2016 Bespoke ELA
step five: Thesis statement
peer revision
Directions: Exchange your thesis statement with a classmate to peer revise the thesis statement. Begin by
writing your original thesis statement in the space provided below, and then have your partner answer the revision
questions that follow.
Original Thesis Statement:
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Peer Revision Activity
Peer’s Name: __________________________________
Questions:
1. Does the thesis statement include the author’s full name (first and last) AND the title of the piece of
literature being analyzed? YES or NO? If not, please give feedback on what they need to add.
2. Is the title of the piece of literature punctuated correctly? YES or NO? If not, please give feedback on
what needs to be changed.
3. Does the thesis statement contain a claim/ theme statement in a “leads to” format? If not, please give
feedback on how the writer can revise it.
4. Does the thesis statement include three pieces of evidence? YES or NO? If not, please give feedback on
what the writer should change.
5. Is the evidence specific enough for the reader to know what will be discussed in the essay? YES or NO?
If not, please give feedback on how the writer can make the evidence more specific.
Homework: Consider your peer’s feedback about your thesis statement, and revise/ edit your thesis statement
accordingly. Type up your newly updated thesis statement to turn in for teacher approval.
©2016 Bespoke ELA
step six: thesis statement
teacher approval form
Directions: Attach this sheet to the top of your typed thesis statement.
Your teacher will initial either YES or NO to approve your thesis statement. If you receive your
thesis statement back and your teacher has initialed “NO,” you will need to revise your thesis
statement and resubmit for approval. It is crucial that you receive teacher approval of your thesis
statement before moving on in the writing process. This does not mean that you cannot go back
and change your thesis statement later on, but to get started on writing the body paragraphs, it is
important to begin with a solid argument.
Teacher approval:
________ YES
________ NO
Teacher Feedback:
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Questions I still have about my thesis statement:
(if applicable)
©2016 Bespoke ELA
answer key & modifications for
Steps 4, 5, & 6
Each student’s thesis statement will vary. However, when students turn in their thesis statements, it is
IMPERATIVE that you check to see that they have included the following criteria in their thesis statements:
1. Author’s FULL NAME & TITLE of Piece
a. Check that the author’s name is spelled correctly and that the title is punctuated correctly.
2. The Claim
a. Check that the claim is written in a “leads to” statement and is a broad/ universal theme statement.
3. 2-3 pieces of evidence
a. Check that there are two to three pieces of evidence included in the thesis statement, and these
pieces of evidence should be specific. (i.e. instead of saying “many characters,” the student should
mention a specific character’s name AND a character trait/ instead of saying “symbolism,” the
student should mention a specific symbol used in the story, etc.)
It is important to approve each student’s thesis statement because this one sentence can make or break the
ENTIRE ESSAY. If a student has all three required parts, then approve the thesis statement. If the student is
missing one of the three parts OR has not met the criteria for each part, then do not approve the thesis statement.
After you pass them back, you can allow students a chance to ask questions as needed. They can also work their
peers once again in order to get ideas for making the thesis statement stronger. Then, have any students whose
thesis statements were not approved TURN THEM BACK IN AGAIN for teacher approval. Keep this process
going until all students are ready to move forward. This could mean that a particular student may need to come in
for tutoring if he/she is still continuing to struggle with the thesis statement. Do NOT allow a student to move
forward without a solid thesis statement because it will affect the entire essay and his/her final grade.
Modifications
Depending upon the needs of your students, it may be best to assign students a thesis statement to begin with instead of
having them create their own. This does not mean that they shouldn’t go through the thesis creation process with the rest of
the class. However, it may be in their best interest to assign them a thesis statement after they have attempted to brainstorm
one on their own. This is something that I do with particular students who are really struggling. This will enable them to
move forward successfully instead of being lost throughout the entire writing process.
You could also consider having students brainstorm a single thesis statement in groups wherein each member of the group
uses the exact same thesis statement that the group created. This does NOT mean that their essays will turn out exactly the
same because each student will select different quotations and will explain the evidence differently.
Remember that this part of the process enables the success of the rest of the process. As a writing center director, one of
the first items I train the peer tutors to check for is the thesis statement. I cannot tell you how many times a student comes
into the writing center with a completed draft, only to discover that the thesis statement is weak (the foundation upon which
the entire house is built), and he/she is told to go back and rewrite the entire essay after revising the thesis statement. It’s a
disheartening experience for students to face, so this is why I put so much emphasis on the creation of the thesis statement.
A strong foundation can lead to a strong essay. However, a weak foundation will never lead to a strong essay. So, make sure
your students’ foundation is solid BEFORE moving forward. Please note that this does not mean that a student cannot
revise or change the thesis statement later on. On the contrary, many students continue to refine the thesis statement
throughout the writing process— but they still need a solid place to begin.
©2016 Bespoke ELA