Don's Responses in WyzAnt Answers

While I agree that a topic sentence introduces what a paragraph will discuss, it is not a "thesis" in any sense. Your thesis is your main argument. Each body paragraph then presents evidence and argumentation that supports the thesis statement. In a five-paragraph essay, there is the thesis paragraph, three body paragraphs--each of which presents one piece of evidence (for a total of three)--and a concluding paragraph. The topic sentence presents the evidence; that is why it's the topic of the paragraph. The remainder of the body paragraph interprets the evidence and explains how this helps to prove the thesis.

Very simply put, a thesis statement is an argument. It is what you are trying to make the reader believe--or at least give credence to--by the end of your paper.

On a general topic, such as capital punishment or the best form of government, a strong thesis statement takes a very definite viewpoint on the topic. A simple example: "A democratic republic is the best form of government." The reader can agree or disagree with the argument. You must then support your opinion (yes, it is your opinion!) with evidence and logic. A weak thesis statement is not very argumentative, e.g.: "There are many good things about a democratic republic." Yes, so what? That statement does not take a lot of strong persuasion.

In literature, the thesis statement derives from the theme of the story. Remember, the theme is the message the author is sending you, the reader. For example, we might decide that the theme of "Romeo and Juliet" is: "Passions that cannot be controlled, whether those are of hate or love, inevitably lead to some form of self-destruction". We can agree, disagree, or argue both sides of the point. One thesis statement could be: "Shakespeare failed to take into consideration the bad advice and societal pressures that actually led Romeo and Juliet to their terrible fate. Their deaths were really the fault of the nurse, the priest, and Juliet’s parents." You clearly disagree with the theme. Another might be: "Shakespeare's excellent message is exemplified in the hatred of the warring families, the impetuous marriage of the two young lovers, and the hot blood of young men that causes Tybalt and Romeo to commit murder." This thesis agrees with the theme. Or you might even interpret the message as: "Shakespeare was actually using this play as a metaphor to portray the tragic and bloody civil war between Catholics and Protestants during the reign of Elizabeth I." This is obviously a much more complicated thesis statement to support.

The rest of the thesis paragraph builds around your argument, and often alludes to the evidence you will present in the paper to support your opinion.