THESIS DRIVEN ESSAY OR PAPER

Barbara Paynter

STATEMENT PLUS 2-4 ARGUMENTS

Expressed in 1 to 2 sentences and found in the 1st paragraph.

STEP #1 –

This is your thesis.

It will provide the skeleton for your essay or paper. All

that is contained in the thesis must be presented in the paper or essay, and all

that is presented in the paper or essay must be in

the thesis. You can’t put flesh on a

skeleton where there are no bones.

The paper or essay supports your thesis.

If it is done well it proves your statement.

Remember that your statement must be

something that can be argued. If all know your statement is true, then it is not a good basis for a paper or essay of this

type. This is a model for a thesis driven paper or

essay.

STATEMENT(Your declaration)

FIRSTARGUMENT

(usually your 2nd

strongest)

SECONDARGUMENT

(usually your weakest)

THIRDARGUMENT

(usually your

strongest)

STEP #2

Take your 2ND STRONGEST ARGUMENT

and PROVIDE PROOFS for that argument.

This can range from one paragraph to several

pages. The proofs are the in-text (primary) and

secondary (others talking about the text or subject) evidence used to support

your argument.

Think of it as evidence in a trial.

ARGUMENT SOURCES NEED TO BE AUTHORITATIVE.

Look for evidence that has an author or at least comes from a credible organization or educational institution. Journals are great.

*********No blogs**********

Stay away from sites such as SparksNotes, enotes,

Pink Monkey, etc.

These sites are useful and can help you form your

thesis, but they are NOT authoritative.

Absolutely NO Wikipedia, Ask.com, etc

(all are blogs).

The number of proofs will vary.

FIRSTARGUMENT

(usually your 2nd strongest)

FIRST PROOF

(usually your 2nd

strongest)

SECOND PROOF

(usually your

weakest)

THIRD PROOF

(usually your

strongest)

STEP #3

Take your WEAKEST ARGUMENT and PROVIDE PROOFS for that argument.

This can range from one paragraph to several

pages. The proofs are the in-text (primary) and

secondary (others talking about the text or subject) evidence used to support

your argument.

Think of it as evidence in a trial.

ARGUMENT SOURCES NEED TO BE AUTHORITATIVE.

Look for evidence that has an author or at least comes from a credible organization or educational institution. Journals are great.

*********No blogs**********

Stay away from sites such as SparksNotes, enotes,

Pink Monkey, etc.

These sites are useful and can help you form your

thesis, but they are NOT authoritative.

Absolutely NO Wikipedia, Ask.com, etc

(all are blogs).

The number of proofs will vary.

SECOND ARGUMENT (usually your weakest)

FIRST PROOF

(usually your 2nd

strongest)

SECOND PROOF

(usually your

weakest)  

THIRD PROOF

(usually your

strongest)

 

STEP #4

Take your STRONGEST ARGUMENT and PROVIDE PROOFS for that argument.

This can range from one paragraph to several

pages. The proofs are the in-text (primary) and

secondary (others talking about the text or subject) evidence used to support

your argument.

Think of it as evidence in a trial.

ARGUMENT SOURCES NEED TO BE AUTHORITATIVE.

Look for evidence that has an author or at least comes from a credible organization or educational institution. Journals are great.

*********No blogs**********

Stay away from sites such as SparksNotes, enotes,

Pink Monkey, etc.

These sites are useful and can help you form your

thesis, but they are NOT authoritative.

Absolutely NO Wikipedia, Ask.com, etc

(all are blogs).

The number of proofs will vary.

THIRD ARGUMENT (usually your strongest)

FIRST PROOF

(usually your 2nd

strongest)

SECOND PROOF

(usually your

weakest)

THIRD PROOF

(usually your

strongest)

STEP #5

STATEMENT PLUS 2-4

ARGUMENTS ARE

EXPRESSED AGAIN AT THE

END.

You have told them what you were going

to tell them (Step #1), you told them (Step #2- Step #4) and now you are

telling them what you told them (Step #5).

You also may want to leave them with something. The Ta-da. Make it a statement that will make the reader

think about what you have said.

STATEMENT(Your declaration)

FIRSTARGUMENT

(usually your 2nd

strongest)

SECONDARGUMENT

(usually your weakest)

THIRDARGUMENT

(usually your

strongest)

TA-DA(a little something to think about)

During the FIRST QUARTER in this class you

will receive INFORMATION,TOOLS,

AND PRACTICE IN ALL THE SKILLS you will need to

construct a QUALITY LITERARY ANALYSIS

RESEARCH PAPER at the end of the course.

Some of you are already familiar with this type of paper and are experts at how to cite a paper using

MLA.

OTHERS…NOT SO MUCH.

We will all work through the process together. I ask

patience from those who “KNOW ALL THERE IS TO

KNOW ABOUT THE PROCESS” and the

undivided attention of those who are yet to learn

the ropes.

TOGETHER – WE CAN DO IT!!

The FINAL PAPER in this class will be a LITERARY

ANALYSIS RESEARCH PAPER, dependent on a

student constructed defensible thesis about literature (novels, plays, short stories, or poetry).

It is highly suggested that you begin thinking about

the literature you are already familiar with, and pay close attention to the

literature we will be covering during the first

quarter. START NOW EXPLORING THE FORMATION OF YOUR THESIS, SO THAT

YOU WILL BE READY LATER.

You may want to pick works for your QRA

READING that would help in this pursuit.

REMEMBER THAT AUTHORITATIVE SOURCES ARE EASIER TO FIND FOR

CLASSIC LITERATURE. Professors are not

analyzing contemporary works.