THESIS STATEMENT and BODY PARAGRAPH NOTES

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THESIS STATEMENT and BODY PARAGRAPH NOTES
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A Thesis Statement

• Is one complex sentence with subordinating parts
  that has a clear, central idea, which shows the
  exact direction of your paper.
• Should answer the question, What am I trying to
  prove specifically?
• Is used to guide the content of the paper

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Thesis Statement

• Is a road map constantly reminding you of your
  location and in what direction you are headed.
• Breaks your topic down into separate aspects
  which are?
• The topic sentences to your body paragraphs!

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Thesis Statement should NOT

• Contain phrases like, I am going to tell you
  about or This paper will be about
• Simply re-state your topic
• Be more than one sentence

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4 parts to a thesis(but not necessarily in this
order)

• Authors name
• Title of story
• Topic- your theme and/or style of
  writing/literary device
• Specific aspects- how is the topic shownthrough
  what or through whom?

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Body Paragraphs

• Must start with a topic sentence!
• A topic sentence announces the main idea derived
  from the thesis, and each subsequent sentence
  develops and supports the idea of your topic
  sentence.
• If each topic sentence for every body paragraph
  does not relate back to the thesis, your paper is
  OFF TOPIC!

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Body Paragraphs

• Should not include anything that you have not
  stated in your thesis statement.
• Should follow the order of your thesis statement.
• Should elaborate the topics and aspects of your
  thesis statement.

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Body Paragraphs

• Can be as many or as few as you need to convey
  your information.
• You should start a new body paragraph when you
  change your thought process using a transition
  sentence.

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Thesis Examples

• In The Call of the Wild, by Jack London, various
  themes of conflict exist, such as man versus
  himself, man versus nature, and the complex
  intermingling of both.

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Body Paragraphs should follow the thesis

• 1. Man vs. Himself
• details, examples, secondary sources
• 2. Man vs. Nature
• details, examples, secondary sources
• 3. The complex intermingling of both
• details, examples, secondary sources

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Thesis Examples

• In A Farewell to Arms, Ernest Hemingway vividly
  illustrates his main character, Fredric Henry,
  and Fredrics changing ideals about love and war
  through his use of supporting characters like
  Rinaldi, Count Greffi, and the priest.

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Body Paragraphs

• Rinaldi
• details, examples, secondary sources
• Count Greffi
• details, examples, secondary sources
• The priest
• details, examples, secondary sources

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Thesis Examples

• Close thematic examination of Ray Bradburys
  Fahrenheit 451 demonstrates the rise of good
  versus evil, utopian ideals, and the pressures of
  conformity through the eyes of his protagonist
  Guy Montag.

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Body Paragraphs

• the rise of good versus evil
• details, examples, secondary sources
• utopian ideals
• details, examples, secondary sources
• the pressures of conformity
• details, examples, secondary sources