How do you construct a thesis statement?

Question

I have read any essay making tips and they said that the thesis statement is key to the thesis. So I tried to make one based on a question.So assume question like this:**Overpopulation of urban areas has led to numerous problems.Identify one or two serious ones and suggest ways that governments and individuals can tackle these problems.**And I create a thesis statement based on that question:**In this essay, I will arguing that overpopulation may cause prevalent famine and increasing numbers of unemployment.**Is this thesis statement correct? I feel that I should include my solution in the thesis statement, but it will make the statement become too long. What should I do?

Answer 1

Your thesis is, among other things a claim you intend to support throughout your paper. It is your position based on the facts you have uncovered, correlated, and intend to directly quote. You arrive at your thesis ONLY after doing the reading, taking your notes and allowing the process to coalesce in a way that only the human mind is capable of. The thesis sometimes emerges during the process of research and note taking. It is perhaps the most exciting aspect of research paper writing because it seems to be almost spontaneous at times.

As an example of rounding up a thesis, let’s say your task is to write on some aspect of Joseph Conrad’s dark novel, “The Heart of Darkness.” As your reading continues, you are struck with the way the author continually characterizes the “pilgrims” (company men) in way that makes them seem weirdly focused only on advancement in the company ranks and heartlessly indifferent to the suffering of the African workers. Is there a thesis in your observation? It could be this: "Conrad depicts the company men as selfish automatons and uses them as symbols of white European colonialism." That's a supportable thesis, and you'll be able to find ample evidence and supporting in the author's own words. It also spills over into other examples where the narrator criticizes European imperialism. As you research and take notes, you'll find the research paper materializing almost magically.  

So, your thesis statement evolves with your research or with a deeper knowledge of your subject matter.