The Thesis Statement

What is a Thesis?

A thesis statement is one of the greatest unifying aspects of an argument-driven essay. Two metaphors may help writers see how it work.

• A thesis should act as mortar, holding together the various bricks of a paper, summarizing the main point of the paper "in a nutshell," and pointing toward the paper's development. Often a thesis statement will be expressed in a sentence or two; be sure to check with your professor for any particular requirements in your class--some professors prefer a more subtle approach!

• Dr. Essid refers to a thesis statement as a "governing claim," using a constitutional metaphor. Such a claim governs all the smaller claims that follow in an essay, and they cannot contradict it. Consider how US laws must not violate the Constitution, to see how this metaphor works.

Students often learn to write a thesis as a first step in the writing process, and they become loathe to change their claim. Scholars of writing, however, find that a fully formed articulation of thesis to be one of the final steps in writing. Professional writers usually weigh their initial claim in light of new evidence and research; student writers should do the same. 

Why every paper needs a title

Crafting a title for an essay that captures its focus (very different from making a claim) should be done first. It can keep you on task as you discover a thesis. A title such as "James Baldwin in Paris" is too broad but "Where He Wrote: Baldwin's Paris Haunts" is focused and sounds academic. That title can change as many times as needed, but it provides a quick check as you work toward a roadmap that will be contained in a strong thesis.

Questions to consider while thinking about a big claim

• What is the main idea of your paper in twenty-five or fewer words?

• What is the assignment asking? How can you answer that question AND focus on a small area of investigation?

• What "code words" (such as "relative freedom" or "lifestyles") does the draft of my thesis statement contain? Are these words adequately explained?

• As you read over your paper, have you supported the thesis or digressed? Where? How?

A short tutorial on these ideas

Take a look at the following video, from Dr. Essid and Dr. David Wright, Furman University Department of Classics. It runs about 13 minutes.

Effective and Ineffective Thesis Statements

Mapping

The thesis statement can help "map" a paper, as it suggests an order or direction for the paper's development. A thesis statement, for example, might begin:

Judy Syfer's essay "I Want a Wife" exaggerates the marital expectations facing women in our society today.

The following sentence could continue:

Those expectations include managing a household, maintaining a career, and having a good relationship with a spouse.

In this example, the thesis statement suggests an obvious path for development in "marital expectations." The writer develops the paragraph by exploring the term "marital expectations." Three following paragraphs, for example, would logically discuss 1) household responsibilities, 2) careers, and 3) marital relationships.

The weak "obvious" thesis

Consider this: 

Neil Armstrong was a perfect hero for his time, because he was courageous yet humble.

• Our "because clause" in Professor Wright's sense really does nothing to advance a conversation about the first human to walk on the Moon. While grammatically correct, even eloquently simple, a reader may ask “so what?” The writer seems bound to use a single sentence to establish a roadmap for a complex journey. 

Instead:

Neil Armstrong was a perfect choice to command Apollo 11, because he was courageous yet humble. Evidence from several sources reveals that NASA picked him for precisely these virtues. He began something heroic but in the end, the public lost interest and the last Apollo missions never recaptured the magic of the first step.

• This writer provides a roadmap to the rest of an essay. It binds, as a Constitution binds lesser laws, the claims and evidence that follow.

The weak "I will show" thesis

Writers new to college prose often include such statements. Generally, faculty do not like them and they rarely appear in academic prose. Consider this one:

I hope to show why medieval teenagers lacked personal freedom.

• The "I hope" statement only weakens it further. 

• That said, some professional prose may include statement such as "this article will discuss" and similar. 

• Check with your professor about "house rules" regarding statements of that sort. In any case, use the example below for how to improve this type of statement. 

Using "How?" and "Why?" to strengthen a thesis

A good thesis statement often answers these questions. You may encounter a thesis statement that reads:

The lifestyle of a teenager in the Middle Ages was very different from the lifestyle of most modern American teenagers.

So what? Why should a reader continue? In what ways are the lifestyles of the youngsters different? Better versions of this statement might be:

Because of the relative freedom enjoyed by young people today, the lifestyle of modern American teenagers is very different from the lifestyle of teens in the Middle Ages. (This version at least says why the difference exists)

A young person in the Middle Ages had very different expectations about marriage, family, and personal freedom than do young adults today. (This version of the statement emphasizes the Medieval, not modern, teenager, but it still does not present an argument to be defended)

This revision of the statement above does present a point "worth making," a point one could contest or support with data:

A young person in the Middle Ages had fewer options for marriage, family, and personal privacy and freedom than do young adults today. (The essay could go on to support what the "options" were and why they were limited)

An even more detailed version of this thesis could "map" the paper for a reader:

Young people in the Middle Ages, who were considered young but responsible adults by the age of sixteen, had fewer social choices when compared to modern American teenagers. Unless they followed a religious calling, medieval teenagers had to contend with an arranged marriage and bearing children while living without what we would consider personal privacy or freedom.

• Note how this statement takes more than a single sentence to make its point. 

• Both of the thesis statements above offer improvements because they do not simply state the obvious: they give a reason why or how we can accept the thesis statement.

Using a "draft thesis" while writing

This type of proto-thesis serves another useful purpose: you can check the body of your paper against it, since it promises a reader what will follow. If the body contains other information, such as other major reasons for the difference cited, then the thesis may need to be revised to include it.

Too many writers have experienced in K-12 a teacher who demanded a thesis statement early in the writing process, then prohibited changing it. We hope this page shows why that is a terrible idea. A good thesis evolves as a writer writes and gathers data. At best, the early versions, like a good title for a paper, help a writer maintain focus.