Write a Thesis Statement

A thesis statement is basically a one-sentence summary of your essay’s argument. If you are
writing to an essay question, it should address your stance on the question. For example, a
thesis statement for Pride and Prejudice might be: The Gardiners are the symbolic middle
ground between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. Another thesis statement could be: the four key
marriages that happen in Pride and Prejudice symbolize the views on marriage during the
Victorian era.

Your thesis statement is the point you will be arguing with your essay. Write it down in big letters
in the center of your plan, everything that follows serves the purpose of reinforcing your
argument

Find Specific Quotes to Support Your Thesis Statement

Before you start writing your essay, comb through the text and write down quotes which support
your thesis statement. Write down the quote in full, and make a note of the page number in case
you need to look it up. If the quote is dialogue, then write down which character is saying it and
to whom. This step will save you time searching for quotes when you are writing your essay.
When you write your essay, use these quotes as evidence for your thesis.

General Tips

 - Remember this is an academic essay, write formally and avoid contractions.

 - Run a quick spelling and grammar check to pick up any silly mistakes. Even a strong
literary analysis essay will lose points if it is littered with spelling and grammatical errors.

 - Write the essay for people who have read the book. There is no need to explain things
as if the reader will be unfamiliar with the text. This will waste your valuable word count and
dilute your arguments.

 - Write your essay in third person. There should be no “I” or “You” in your essay. This is
the academic standard, and high school and college teachers are likely to deduct marks if the
essay is not written in third person.
 - Do basic referencing as you go to make your life easier. Put your citation mark in and
just make a note of the book and page number. You can go and fill in the complete details after
you’ve written your essay, but in the meantime, these will be a good placeholder.

 - Have the text you are analyzing and any additional texts close by so you can quickly
look things up. Marking important pages or sections with sticky notes will make any breaks to
refer to the text more efficient.

 - Keep your writing succinct, don’t go off on a tangent; everything you write should
strengthen your thesis statement.

 - Stick to the word count; your teachers will not appreciate a literary analysis essay
which is too long or too short. Most teachers operate with a 10% leeway either side, so stick
within those limits.

 - Each section may be multiple paragraphs, depending on the word limit for your essay.
If a section does have multiple paragraphs, you need to make it clear which section the
paragraph belongs to. The best way to do this is to make sure each paragraph is clearly
“signposted” with topic sentences and clearly tied into the section’s argument and the overall
essay’s argument. A topic sentence is a summary sentence which tells the reader what the
paragraph is about. This is at the first sentence of the paragraph and helps keep your essay on
track.

The thesis may focus on an analysis of one of the elements of fiction, drama, poetry or
nonfiction as expressed in the work: character, plot, structure, idea, theme, symbol, style,
imagery, tone, etc.

Example:

In “A Worn Path,” Eudora Welty creates a fictional character in Phoenix Jackson whose
determination, faith, and cunning illustrate the indomitable human spirit.

Note that the work, author, and character to be analyzed are identified in this thesis statement.
The thesis relies on a strong verb (creates). It also identifies the element of fiction that the writer
will explore (character) and the characteristics the writer will analyze and discuss
(determination, faith, cunning).

Further Examples:

The character of the Nurse in Romeo and Juliet serves as a foil to young Juliet, delights us with
her warmth and earthy wit, and helps realize the tragic catastrophe.
The works of ecstatic love poets Rumi, Hafiz, and Kabir use symbols such as a lover’s longing
and the Tavern of Ruin to illustrate the human soul’s desire to connect with God.

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The thesis may focus on illustrating how a work reflects the particular genre’s forms, the
characteristics of a philosophy of literature, or the ideas of a particular school of thought.

Example:

“The Third and Final Continent” exhibits characteristics recurrent in writings by immigrants:
tradition, adaptation, and identity.

Note how the thesis statement classifies the form of the work (writings by immigrants) and
identifies the characteristics of that form of writing (tradition, adaptation, and identity) that the
essay will discuss.

Further examples:

Samuel Beckett’s Endgame reflects characteristics of Theatre of the Absurd in its minimalist
stage setting, its seemingly meaningless dialogue, and its apocalyptic or nihilist vision.

A close look at many details in “The Story of an Hour” reveals how language, institutions, and
expected demeanor suppress the natural desires and aspirations of women.

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The thesis may draw parallels between some element in the work and real-life situations or
subject matter: historical events, the author’s life, medical diagnoses, etc.

Example:

In Willa Cather’s short story, “Paul’s Case,” Paul exhibits suicidal behavior that a caring adult
might have recognized and remedied had that adult had the scientific knowledge we have
today.

This thesis suggests that the essay will identify characteristics of suicide that Paul exhibits in the
story. The writer will have to research medical and psychology texts to determine the typical
characteristics of suicidal behavior and to illustrate how Paul’s behavior mirrors those
characteristics.

Further Examples:

Through the experience of one man, the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An
American Slave, accurately depicts the historical record of slave life in its descriptions of the
often brutal and quixotic relationship between master and slave and of the fragmentation of
slave families.

In “I Stand Here Ironing,” one can draw parallels between the narrator’s situation and the
author’s life experiences as a mother, writer, and feminist.
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SAMPLE PATTERNS FOR THESES ON LITERARY WORKS

1. In (title of work), (author) (illustrates, shows) (aspect) (adjective). 

Example: In “Barn Burning,” William Faulkner shows the characters Sardie and Abner Snopes
struggling for their identity.

2. In (title of work), (author) uses (one aspect) to (define, strengthen, illustrate) the
(element of work).

Example: In “Youth,” Joseph Conrad uses foreshadowing to strengthen the plot.

3. In (title of work), (author) uses (an important part of work) as a unifying device for (one
element), (another element), and (another element). The number of elements can vary from
one to four.

Example: In “Youth,” Joseph Conrad uses the sea as a unifying device for setting, structure and
theme.

4. (Author) develops the character of (character’s name) in (literary work) through what
he/she does, what he/she says, what other people say to or about him/her.

Example: Langston Hughes develops the character of Semple in “Ways and Means”…

5. In (title of work), (author) uses (literary device) to (accomplish, develop, illustrate,

strengthen) (element of work).
Example: In “The Masque of the Red Death,” Poe uses the symbolism of the stranger, the clock,
and the seventh room to develop the theme of death.

6. (Author) (shows, develops, illustrates) the theme of __________ in the (play, poem,
story).

Example: Flannery O’Connor illustrates the theme of the effect of the selfishness of the
grandmother upon the family in “A Good Man is Hard to Find.”

7. (Author) develops his character(s) in (title of work) through his/her use of language.
Example: John Updike develops his characters in “A & P” through his use of figurative
language.