EmpoWord - A Student-Centered Anthology & Handbook for College Writers, 2018a

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.
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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
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.
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 twentiethcentury
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.