Writing a strong thesis:
1. A thesis is an assertion (your opinion) not a fact. Ex: Fact: People use many chemicals on their lawns. Thesis: People are poisoning the environment with chemicals merely to keep their lawns clean.
2. A thesis TAKES A STAND rather than announcing a subject.
Announcement: The thesis of this paragraph is the difficulty of solving our environmental problems.
Thesis: Solving our environmental problems is more difficult than many environmentalists believe.
3. A thesis is NARROW, rather than broad. If the thesis is sufficiently narrow, it can easily be proven in a paragraph.
Broad: The American steel industry has many problems.
Narrow: The primary porlbem of the American steel industry is the lack of funds to renovate outdated plants and equipment.
4. A thesis statement is specific rather than vague or general.
Vague: Hemminway's war stories are good.
Specific: Hemminway's stories helped create a new prose style by employing extensive dialogue, shorter sentences, and strong Anglo-Saxon words.
5. A thesis must include the author and the title of the work. Cite the title according to MLA style rules. Stories are in quotation marks.
Sample thesis statements for the story, "The Father". The question asks you to discuss his character so you need (based on your research) to form an opinion about the father that you have DISCOVERED. It shouldn't be too obvious.
Weak thesis: In Hugh Garner's story, "The Father," the father is an alcoholic who does not care for his son.
Strong thesis: Garner's sympathetic portrayal of Mr. Purcell
reveals that being a father requires not just sacrifice but the will to become
a better man in the story, "The Father".
