Thesis Statements: Four Steps to a Great Essay | 60second Recap® - YouTube

Writing a thesis statement is all about figuring out the main idea for your paper, and then

explaining that main idea to your reader. But where to begin?

Begin with the question—the question you’re answering with your essay. We’ll use

"The Scarlet Letter" as an example.

Let’s say your teacher gave you the following question as your essay topic:

What role does the scarlet letter "A" play in Hawthorne’s novel, and why is it important?

Step 1: Assuming you’ve read the book (and really, you can’t write a paper without

having read the book) answer the question off the top of your head.

Question: What role does the scarlet letter "A" play in Hawthorne’s novel, and why is

it important?

Preliminary thesis: In "The Scarlet Letter," the letter "A" is a symbol.

That’s a good start, but you haven’t answered the whole question. Remember that the second

part of the question is: and why is the "A" important?

Step 2: So now you need to refine your answer. At this point, you’ll probably need to look

back at your notes about the book to figure out why the "A" is important. After you do,

revise your thesis statement.

Question: What role does the scarlet letter "A" play in Hawthorne’s novel, and why is

it important?

Revised thesis: In "The Scarlet Letter," the letter "A" is more than a symbol; it actually

helps define Hester’s identity.

That’s not a bad thesis, but remember that your thesis sends the reader off into your

essay not just knowing what you’re going to write about, but how you’re going to

make your case. In other words, you want to give your reader a little bit more direction.

This is where examples come in.

Step 3: Before you finish refining your thesis, you need to know which examples from the book

are going to help you make your case.

For this question, we might look at the way the meaning of the scarlet letter "A" changes

over the course of the novel. First it defines Hester as an adulteress. Later, it shows how

“able” Hester is. And finally, it comes to stand for “angel” as Hester takes control

of her own identity.

So, with these examples in mind, let’s revise that thesis statement one more time.

Question: What role does the scarlet letter "A" play in Hawthorne’s novel, and why is

it important?

Finalized thesis, version 1: In "The Scarlet Letter," the letter "A" is more than a symbol;

it actually helps define Hester’s identity, transforming her from an “adulteress,”

to a woman who’s “able,” and finally, into an “angel.”

That’s a great thesis (if I do say so myself), but I want to point out something that happened

as I wrote that thesis. Sometimes, when you start working with examples, an even deeper,

more nuanced response to the question emerges. So here’s an optional final step.

Step 4: Ask yourself: Am I really saying all I could be saying with my thesis? Am I really

saying it in the clearest possible way? Or are my examples leading me to tweak my thesis

and say something a little different, a little deeper?

If your answer to any of these questions is yes, revise again.

Question: What role does the scarlet letter "A" play in Hawthorne’s novel, and why is

it important?

Finalized thesis, version 2: In "The Scarlet Letter," the letter "A" isn’t just a symbol

of Hester’s downfall; as Hester moves from “adulteress,” to a woman who’s “able,”

and finally, to an “angel,” the "A" becomes a symbol of Hester’s “agency” in defining

her own identity.

Let’s look at those steps one last time. To write your thesis statement:

1. Answer the question. 2. Refine your answer, making sure you’ve

answered all parts of the question. 3. Refine your answer into a more focused

thesis statement by including a reference to the examples you plan to use.

4. Refine your thesis so that it answers the question not just in a focused way, but also

in a creative, thoughtful, even profound way.

There you have it: An awesome thesis statement, and a solid foundation for an A+ essay.