Empoword

Part Two: Text Wrestling 191 If you think of your essay as the human body, the thesis is the spine. Yes, the body can still exist without a spine, but its functionings will be severely limited. Furthermore, everything comes back to and radiates out from the spine: trace back from your fingertips to your backbone and consider how they relate. In turn, each paragraph should tie back to your thesis, offering support and clear connections so your reader can see the entire “body” of your essay. In this way, a thesis statement serves two purposes: it is not only about the ideas of your paper, but also the structure . The Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL ) 77 suggests this specific process for developing your thesis statement: 1. Once you’ve read the story or novel closely, look back over your notes for patterns of questions or ideas that interest you. Have most of your questions been about the characters, how they develop or change? For example: If you are reading Conrad’s The Secret Agent , do you seem to be most interested in what the author has to say about society? Choose a pattern of ideas and express it in the form of a question and an answer such as the following: Question: What does Conrad seem to be suggesting about early twentieth- century London society in his novel The Secret Agent ? Answer: Conrad suggests that all classes of society are corrupt. Pitfalls: Choosing too many ideas. Choosing an idea without any support. 2. Once you have some general points to focus on, write your possible ideas and answer the questions that they suggest. For example: Question : How does Conrad develop the idea that all classes of society are corrupt? Answer: He uses images of beasts and cannibalism whether he’s describing socialites, policemen or secret agents. In addition to capturing the central, unifying insight of your essay, your thesis also acts as a “road map.” It anticipates both content and structure. "Vintage ephemera" b y HA! Designs - Artbyheather i s licensed unde r CC BY-NC-ND 2.0