How & Why to Write a Thesis Statement Part II

You’ve been assigned a five-page paper on A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams. You’ve read the text; you’ve thought about it and asked yourself some questions. You actually have some pretty good ideas. In theory, you know what makes a good thesis statement, but you don’t know how to apply what you know into a thesis statement for this particular assignment. Where to begin?!? In three easy steps, you can write a thesis statement, but then you need to take a couple more steps before putting it into your paper.

3 Steps to a Thesis Statement, Plus 2 More to Make it Great

1. Pick a topic a. More often than not, no instructions will be given other than to write about ASND – just pick a topic. Let’s go with Stanley Kowalski.

Example: Stanley Kowalski is the main character in A Streetcar Named Desire.

2. Name 3 aspects of the topic which interest you; see if they work together. a. Relationship with Stella (his wife) b. Hyper-masculinity c. Lower socio-economic status

Example: Macho-man Stanley married a woman of a higher social class.

3. Identify elements of tension in each of the above; work these into the possible thesis. a. Domestic abuse b. Aggression towards women c. Feeling of inferiority to higher class women

Example: Stanley asserts his masculinity and superiority by hitting his wife.

4. Use the “Magic Thesis Statement” to help clarify your ideas a. By looking at ______, we can see ______, which most readers don’t see; this is important because ______. b. By looking at Stanley Kowalski’s masculinity in A Streetcar Named Desire, we can see he is a product of his class and not merely an abusive husband, which most readers don’t see; this is important because Stanley is trying to protect his home from being undermined by insults from Blanche. c. This example is a tool to help shape the thesis; it should not be used as-is in a paper.

5. Refine and Revise a. Put your “Magic Thesis Statement” into your own words. b. After writing your paper, re-read your thesis statement and revise if necessary to reflect the paper you’ve actually written.

Example: In A Streetcar Named Desire, Tennessee Williams uses Stanley’s aggressive masculinity to explore issues of social class and gender roles within a marriage.