Complex Thesis vs. Three-Point Thesis
(I have borrowed and adapted this handout from Prof. Scott Harris.)
A thesis is a line of argument that threads through your entire essay, giving it purpose and shape. Without a thesis, a paper lacks direction and often lapses into summary or generalizations.
Your thesis statement articulates your thesis clearly in one to three sentences, usually at the end of your introductory paragraph. A thesis statement tells the reader exactly what it is you are planning to argue. It should accurately reflect the argument that takes shape—that is developed, supported, and explained—in your body paragraphs.
Sample prompt question: To what extent is “sadness” a culturally specific concept?
What should a thesis NOT do?
· Attempt to be too broad: a broad thesis (one that incorporates too many “big” ideas) represents ambition, but it is also unrealistic to accomplish such an ambitious project in only 5 pages.
· Use vague terms: be specific in your word choice—be clear about what you mean by “the system,” or “inequality.” Sometimes complicated ideas have many facets or meanings, so it is important that you specify clearly how you plan to use key terms.
· Set you up for summary: choosing an effective thesis can make the difference between a C and an NP. Ask yourself: Has the author of the assigned text already answered this question? What can I add to the conversation?
· Set you up to write a 5-paragraph essay (see below): a 5-paragraph essay rarely displays complicated, developed thinking.
A 5-paragraph essay is a paper whose thesis statement (which reads as a “list”) looks like this:
“Sadness is a culturally specific concept because of A, B, and C.”
The paper then looks like this:
Intro. – “Sadness is a culturally specific concept because of A, B, and C.”
Para. 1 – “Because of A, sadness is a culturally specific concept.”
Para. 2 – “Because of B, sadness is a culturally specific concept.”
Para. 3 – “Because of C, sadness is a culturally specific concept.”
Conc. – “Sadness is a culturally specific concept because of A, B, and C.”
While it may be true that sadness is a culturally specific concept because of A, B, and C, no development is displayed between paragraphs. The author of this paper has not demonstrated connective thinking by analyzing the relationship or causality between A, B, and C. Very few transitions or connections have been made, which means that Paragraphs 1, 2, and 3 can be rearranged in any order and the paper would still make sense.
So, what should a thesis DO?
· Make an original claim: it should not restate the question, or an argument that the author of the assigned text has made. Instead, it should offer something new to the conversation.
· Take a critical stand: a thesis should position itself in relation to the assigned text.
· Develop its claim: a paper should make use of paragraphs to build an argument. Each paragraph should engage directly with the thesis and support it with evidence and critical analysis. Paragraphs should relate to one another in clear and interesting ways.
· Establish relationships between ideas: if you begin to talk about language difference, and then move on to discuss tradition, make the relationship clear. How does what you argued about language difference affect your reading of tradition? Tell me how and why you are making that logical connection.
· Use logical connectives: Make the transitions between paragraphs clear by using appropriate language. E.g., “Given that,” “However,” “In light of this,” . . .
Below is a list of connective words and phrases that are commonly used to create logical relationships between ideas:
LOGICAL CONNECTIVES
Cause and effect: A affects/effects B.
· To make this relationship more specific, ask yourself
how
A affects B.
· Connective language used to express this relationship:
· causes; leads to; impacts; changes; results in; affects; because; given that; if [this],
then [this], consequently, therefore
Extension: B takes the ideas of A a step further.
· To make this relationship more specific, ask yourself
how
B extends the ideas of A.
· Connective language used to express this relationship:
· builds upon, adds/contributes to, sheds light on, allows us to think about, raises the
question of
Complication: B complicates A.
· To make this relationship more specific, ask yourself
how
B complicates A.
· Connective language used to express this relationship:
although, while, at the same time, however, exceptions, to some extent, sets limits for
Your thesis statement, then, should be able to accurately, clearly, and articulately reflect your thesis in your introduction and conclusion.
So instead of “Sadness is a culturally specific concept because of A, B, and C,” an effective thesis statement might look like this:
“Sadness is largely a cultural specific concept because language (A) and its application to medical issues, such as depression (B), results from a culture that traditionally (C) perceives emotions differently.”
Notice how components A, B, and C are not simply listed but placed in logical connection to one another. This thesis statement requires the writer of this paper to first prove that language (A) and its relationship to depression (B) is a major cause of sadness’s cultural specificity, before then proving that this language difference extends from a tradition of emotional perception (C).
The paper then looks like this:
Intro. – “Sadness is a cultural specific concept because the relationship of A to B is a result of C.”
Para. 1 – “A relates to B in the following ways.”
Para. 2 – “Because A relates to B, we can talk about C in the following ways.”
Para. 3 – “Historically, C has been perceived in the following ways.”
Para. 4 – “However, given that A relates to B in the ways outlined above, it is possible to view C in a different/new/contradictory/altering/etc. way.”
Conc. – “Therefore, sadness is a cultural specific concept because the relationship of A to B is a result of C.”
EXERCISE
The sample thesis statements below are a mixture. Some set the student up to write an argument that progresses by way of logical connections, while others express a “list” that sets the student up to write a “5-paragraph essay.” Can you tell the difference? Mark with “list” those you think set the writer up for a “5-paragraph essay.”
Now look at the others. Do you see how they are different to the “5-paragraph essay” model? What kind of language do they use to depict logical relationships? How are they adding to the conversation? How would you change them to make their argument clearer?
1. It can also be assumed that these factors vary from culture to culture based on the culture’s external and internal surroundings. Therefore, the intensity of one’s emotions can be measured by one’s environment.
2. Therefore time, language, cultural narratives, the individual’s experience and the environment influence the meaning of sadness making it a largely culturally specific concept.
3. The need for dominance and order that dictated the very pace and structure of their mega-marketing campaign is evidence that “sadness,” or at least the Western definition, is a concept that is a direct influence of human nature.
4. Sadness is a culturally specific concept to a very great extent because of the way it is dealt with and termed (medically) throughout the world, how it is felt from individual to individual in distant cultures, and how tradition and society mold the expectations of how to feel when affected by sadness.
5. When a culture is manipulated, the individuals bound within that culture are subjected to change as well. Acknowledging the genuine concept of sadness creates value in understanding the distinctness of different cultures, and allows the establishment of connectivity among individuals from distinct cultural influences.
6. Although sadness is some- thing felt by every human being, the concept, treatment, and cause of the emotion varies from culture to culture.
7. Culture directly impacts the way in which people understand, show, and experience emotion. The condition of the individual although has a direct impact in the society in which they make a part of.
8. Since people of different ethnicities and nationalities carry different notions of emotions; “sadness” is a culturally specific concept to a great extent because of diverse cultures, traditions, and neuroplasticity.
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