Writing Thesis-Based Essays

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Writing Thesis-Based Essays

• By Cathy Marvin

Reformatted by Patricia Burgey
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A Thesis-Based Essay Has

• Thesis Statement
• Introductory Paragraph
• Body Paragraphs (A good body paragraph has 7-9
  sentences.)
• Idea sentence
• Supporting Sentences and quotations
• Wrap-Up Sentence or Concluding Sentence
• Conclusion Paragraph

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WritingThesis Statements

• Make sure you know what theme you will use.
• Make sure you have three examples of how your
  theme is illustrated in the text.
• Use the following formula to write your theme.

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Formula for Thesis
__1__ illustrates the theme of ___2 ___ in __3__
through the use of _____4_______, __5_________,
and ______6________.

• Authors Name
• Theme you will use
• The title of the novel (underlined)
• 4-6.The three examples you will use to develop
  your thesis.

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Sample Thesis Statement

• Harper Lee illustrates the theme of hypocrisy
  in To Kill a Mockingbird through Aunt Alexandra,
  Miss Gates, and Mrs. Meriweather.

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Your thesis statement is the last sentence of
your introduction.

• DO NOT write any of the following sentences in
  your introduction
• In this paper I will . . .
• This paper will show you that . . .
• The purpose of the paper is to . . .

So how DO you write an introduction?
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Writing an Introduction

• Sentence 1 Mention the author, the book and
  some general statement about the plot of the
  book.
• Sentence 2 Write a sentence that sort of sums
  up the plot.
• Sentence 3 There are many themes that the
  author develops throughout the story.
• Sentence 4 Some of these themes include . . .
  (list themes other than yours).
• Sentence 5 Thesis Statement.

Wanna see an example?
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Sample Introduction

• Harper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird is a
  poignant story about Scout and her brother Jem,
  and the trials they face growing up in Alabama in
  the 1930s. Scout and her brother Jem learn many
  lessons about their town, their father, and
  themselves. There are many themes Harper Lee
  emphasizes in the novel. Some of these themes
  include loss of innocence, love, prejudice, and
  fairness. Harper Lee develops the theme of
  hypocrisy in To Kill a Mockingbird through Aunt
  Alexandra, Miss Gates, and Mrs. Meriweather.

Your turn. Now you try it!!!
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How to write a body paragraph

• Body paragraphs are composed of
• Main idea sentence
• Supporting detail sentences (2-3)
• Quotations from the novel that prove your point
• A wrap-up sentence

A good body paragraph has 7 9 sentences.
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Main Idea Sentence

• TRANSITION
• One way Harper Lee develops the theme of
  hypocrisy is through Aunt Alexandra, Scouts aunt
  who comes to live with the Finch family during
  the Tom Robinson trial.

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Supporting Detail Sentences and Quotations from
the Novel

• The purpose of Aunt Alexandras visit is to
  teach Scout how to be a lady. Upon her arrival
  to Maycomb, Alexandra explains to Scout, We
  decided that it would be best for you to have
  some feminine influence (Lee 127). However,
  Scout does not want to learn how to be a lady.
  Alexandra also confuses Scout by her attitude
  toward people such as Walter Cunningham. She
  tells Scout that she should be gracious to
  everybody (127), but that she should not invite
  some people to their home because they are trash.
  Scout does not understand how anyone could be
  gracious and not invite someone home.

Mix the two elements together. Dont have two
quotations together.
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Wrap-up Sentence

• Aunt Alexandras views are indeed
  hypocritical, and Scout, though only eight years
  old, recognizes the hypocrisy.

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Put it all together. . .

• One way Harper Lee develops the theme of
  hypocrisy is through Aunt Alexandra, Scouts aunt
  who comes to live with the Finch family during
  the Tom Robinson trial. The purpose of Aunt
  Alexandras visit is to teach Scout how to be a
  lady. Upon her arrival to Maycomb, Alexandra
  explains to Scout, We decided that it would be
  best for you to have some feminine influence (Lee
  127). However, Scout does not want to learn how
  to be a lady. Alexandra also confuses Scout by
  her attitude toward people such as Walter
  Cunningham. She tells Scout that she should be
  gracious to everybody (127), but that she
  should not invite some people to their home
  because they are trash. Scout does not
  understand how anyone could be gracious and not
  invite someone home. Aunt Alexandras views are
• indeed hypocritical, and Scout,
  though only
• eight years old, recognizes the
  hypocrisy.

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• Now you try!!!
• Give it a whirl!!!

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Writing a Conclusion

• Include the following in your conclusion
• A quotation from the novel of some sort that
  deals with the theme in some way.
• A re-stated sentence from the first body
  paragraph.
• A re-stated sentence from the second body
  paragraph.
• A re-stated sentence from the third body
  paragraph.
• A clincher sentence that leaves the teacher
  dazzled!

This the HARD part!!!
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I knew you would ask!!!

• Here is a sample conclusion
• After Aunt Alexandras conversation with Jem and
  Scout about Walter Cunningham, Jem makes an
  insightful remark about Boo Radley, their
  neighbor I think Im beginning to understand
  why Boo Radleys shut up inside the house all
  this time . . . its because he wants to stay
  inside (227). There might be some truth to
  Jems comment because Boo recognizes how
  hypocritical some of Maycombs folks are. Aunt
  Alexandra holds hypocritical views regarding
  family background. Miss Gates is a hypocrite
  because she despises Hitler for persecuting the
  Jews, yet she feels the same toward the Negroes
  that Hitler feels toward the Jews. Mrs.
  Meriweather also shows her hypocritical side at
  the missionary meeting. Harper Lee strikes a
  sensitive nerve with the treatment of the theme
  of hypocrisy in her novel by showing that even
  children can recognize a hypocrite.

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Lets get writing!!!

• Now that you know the formula for a good
  thesis statement and a great essay, lets get
  busy!!!