Thesis Statements

First let's investigate the question: what is a thesis statement?

A thesis statement is a single, complete sentence that succinctly expresses your view concerning a particular topic. It will generally be included in the introductory paragraph of your essay, and you must be sure that you can support the statement in the body of the essay. To get a better understanding of what a thesis statement is, it helps to imagine it in the context of the paper writing process. During the research process, you will encounter a lot of information about your topic. The nature of this information will vary by discipline. For instance, it might be information from important texts within your discipline(s) such as literary and cinematic works or philosophical treatises, or it might be composed of historical evidence. After you have uncovered this information (i.e., watched the film(s), read the book(s), spent time in the archives), your thesis statement will almost always be a direct answer to this question: what does this information mean? So, your thesis statement will be an interpretation or argument explaining the significance of this information, not a restatement of the actual information itself. Therefore, the main body of your essay will be your attempt to convince other people, by way of a more extended argument, that your interpretation of the information is correct. In this way, the information you initially uncovered will be transformed into evidence supporting your thesis.

Your writing assignments for the class begin with a formal analysis midterm where you will need to write a thesis based on your observations of an artwork alone. That means, NO RESEARCH. So, you will need to first spend time observing your artwork and making as many notes as possible about the experience of looking, critically examining, and spending time with the work. This is the necessary preparatory work before taking a stab at a thesis statement. Below is a formula to help you write a thesis statement once you've done the prep work. Read it carefully.

If students are stuck preparing a thesis statement for your first paper (the midterm formal analysis paper) I suggest this "formula":

Begin with one of two formulas and put it into ONE concrete, clear, sentence (this is your thesis statement):

First: Your expression of or about an artwork

Second: Back that up with formal analysis evidence (remember the list of key tips!)

OR

First: Sharing visual evidence

Second: Forming a conclusion about what that expresses

Look at the examples below for ideas:

Now its your turn!

Use the annotation function (HIGHLIGHT HERE AND CLICK "ANNOTATE") to create your own thesis statement on this image: