Hello class! As I discussed on Tuesday, in today's blogpost I'll be sharing and commenting on student examples of thesis statements and conclusions. Hopefully, you'll find these helpful as you begin drafting your next Essay 3 on Thursday. The number one thing we struggled with was integrating thematic elements into our essays. So, let's get into it. Strong Student Example #1Thesis: Caliban’s mysterious origins alienate him from the people around him, suggesting that cultural differences are often impassable obstacles that keep different groups of people from accepting one another. Above, I've made the concrete plot analysis blue and the abstract thematic analysis red. A thesis statement can set you up for success by including the impact of the plot analysis on the theme of the work. In this student example, the writer very clearly and cleverly added the thematic analysis on with the word "suggesting." I hereby grant you all permission to magpie this word. If you are struggling to come up with theme, see what happens when you stick the word "suggesting" on the end of your thesis. Conclusion: In The Tempest, Caliban’s origins as the son of Sycorax and a native of the island have only done him a disservice. Caliban has lived on the island for longer than anyone else yet has no control over his home or his life. He was enslaved by Prospero, which was justified by societal standards, and exploited by Stephano and Trinculo. This is similar to how the Native Americans were treated by European Colonists during colonial times. Natives were forced off their lands and many who stayed were enslaved or killed. The colonists justified the mistreatment of the natives by portraying and viewing the natives as “savages.” This mindset persisted in American society for many years and served as justification for more discrimination against the natives. Even with the passing of many generations, many of these atrocities haven’t been forgotten and the relationship between the Americans and Natives has struggled to be resolved. Through Caliban’s character arc, Shakespeare condemned the actions of early European settlers and illustrated the grave social consequences that are caused by racism. Besides the thesis, the other big opportunity you have to expand the plot of the work into theme is your conclusion. Here, the student writer has included previous knowledge of history to bring the implications of the plot onto the world stage. When you broaden the implications of the plot to include the real world, you are creating thematic analysis. Strong Student Example #2Thesis: After his upper class community excludes and even vilifies Heathcliff for his mysterious origins, he becomes vindictive and abusive, which underscores the novel’s premise that strict social hierarchies only serve to further antagonize people of different backgrounds. Again, the student writer has included a plot analysis that responds to the prompt in the thesis, as well as a thematic analysis drawn from the plot. On a syntactical level, this writer accomplished the feat with the phrase: "which underscores the novel's premise that..." Magpie? Conclusion: Heathcliff’s unknown background causes him to be ostracized by the elite, which results in his descent into insanity and rage. In this way, Bronte manages to provide social commentary on the pitfalls of social class, showing how the strict traditions of the upper class outrage lower-class laborers. Heathcliff is the ideal vehicle for this message, because his unknown background allows him to be treated as lower-class by much of the elite, while still being partially accepted into upper class society due to the work of Mr. Earnshaw. The transformation of the protagonist into the villain also subverts the reader’s expectations of a usual rags-to-riches story, where the peasant finds wealth, status, and happiness; instead, Heathcliff manages to become rich but also increasingly unhappy as a result of his pursuit of that wealth. In this way, Bronte notes how even the existence of social hierarchies at all makes people unhappy, as they continually try -- and oftentimes fail -- to scale the social ladder. Another example of using the conclusion to make effective thematic analysis. Almost There Student Example #3Thesis: However, it becomes clear this is but a façade and that Dracula has a malicious intent that he unearths as his scheme for vengeance and power is revealed to Johnathan Harker and the other protagonists. This is good stuff, strong plot analysis. But the student didn't include any thematic elements in the thesis. As you can see, the conclusion is also just plot analysis: Conclusion: In conclusion, Dracula’s mysterious history, intent, and aura lead directly to the main conflict of the novel. That is both the need to stop Dracula’s plan for power and realizing that he is in fact a vampire. Only after the protagonists are able to locate Dracula and find out his weaknesses are they even able to stand a chance as they split up and trap him. Exposing Dracula’s mysteriousness was the way the protagonists were able to beat him. So what if this student revised his/her thesis to include another clause after the word "suggesting?" Let's try it: However, it becomes clear this is but a façade and that Dracula has a malicious intent that he unearths as his scheme for vengeance and power is revealed to Johnathan Harker and the other protagonists, suggesting that truth is the strongest tool humans have in the battle against evil. Sum it Up, Sum it UpJust remember: plot is concrete, theme is abstract. In the thematic analysis I added above, the specific characters "Jonathan Harker and other protagonists" becomes the more generalized "humans." "Dracula" becomes "evil." We are moving up the ladder of abstraction.
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AuthorI'm a Houston high school teacher. Welcome to my adapted, socially-distanced, quarantined AP English Literature and Composition classroom. Archives
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