what's the difference between theme and thesis

Theme vs Thesis: The Main Differences & When To Use Them

Regarding discussing the difference between theme and thesis, it is essential to understand the distinct roles they play in various forms of writing. While theme and thesis are both integral components of a piece of work, they serve different purposes and convey different meanings. In simple terms, theme refers to the central idea or message that runs throughout a literary work, whereas thesis represents the main argument or claim made in an academic or research paper.

Theme, in literature, is the underlying concept or recurring idea that gives a work its depth and meaning. It is often expressed through motifs, symbols, and character development, allowing readers to explore universal truths and gain insights into the human condition. Themes can be broad and abstract, such as love, justice, or freedom, or they can be more specific, focusing on topics like the loss of innocence or the pursuit of power. In essence, themes provide a framework for understanding and interpreting a piece of literature, offering readers a deeper understanding of the author’s intentions.

On the other hand, a thesis is a concise statement that presents the main argument or claim of an academic or research paper. It serves as a roadmap for the entire work, guiding the reader through the writer’s perspective and supporting evidence. A thesis is typically found in the introduction of a paper and is supported by logical reasoning and evidence in subsequent paragraphs. Unlike themes, which are often open to interpretation, a thesis is a clear and specific assertion that the writer aims to prove or support throughout the paper. It acts as a focal point, providing direction and coherence to the overall argument.

Understanding the difference between theme and thesis is crucial for writers and readers alike. While themes allow us to explore the deeper meaning and universal truths within a piece of literature, the thesis provides a clear and concise statement of the main argument in an academic or research paper. By distinguishing between these two concepts, we can better appreciate the distinct roles they play in different forms of writing and engage more effectively with the ideas and messages conveyed by authors and researchers.

The Definitions

In order to fully understand the differences between a theme and a thesis, it is essential to establish clear definitions for both terms. Let us begin by defining the concept of a theme.

Define Theme

A theme, in the context of literature or any form of artistic expression, refers to a recurring or central idea that permeates throughout a work. It is the underlying message or concept that the author intends to convey to the audience. Themes often explore universal truths, moral dilemmas, or societal issues, and they provide a deeper understanding of the human condition.

Themes are not explicitly stated within the text, but rather, they are subtly woven into the narrative, characters, and symbols. They require careful analysis and interpretation by the reader to grasp their significance. Themes can be multifaceted, allowing for multiple interpretations and perspectives.

For example, in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s masterpiece, “The Great Gatsby,” one of the prominent themes is the corrupting influence of wealth and the illusion of the American Dream. This theme is explored through the characters’ pursuit of material success, the decadence of the Jazz Age, and the tragic consequences that result from the obsession with wealth.

Define Thesis

While a theme focuses on the overall message or idea of a work, a thesis, on the other hand, is a specific claim or argument that an author puts forth in an academic or persuasive writing piece. A thesis serves as the central point of an essay or research paper and provides a clear direction for the entire work.

A thesis is typically found in the introductory paragraph of an essay and is supported by evidence, analysis, and logical reasoning throughout the body paragraphs. It presents a concise statement that encapsulates the main argument or position the writer aims to prove or discuss.

Unlike a theme, a thesis is explicitly stated and serves as a guiding principle for the entire essay. It helps the reader understand the purpose of the writing and the writer’s stance on a particular topic.

For instance, in an essay analyzing the effects of climate change on biodiversity, a thesis statement could be: “The alarming rate of climate change poses a significant threat to global biodiversity, leading to the extinction of numerous species and disrupting ecosystems.”

In summary, while a theme encompasses the broader message or idea explored in a work of art, a thesis is a specific claim or argument that guides an essay or research paper. Understanding the distinction between these two terms is crucial for effective analysis and interpretation of literary works and academic writing.

How To Properly Use The Words In A Sentence

In order to effectively convey your ideas and arguments, it is crucial to understand how to properly use the words “theme” and “thesis” in a sentence. While both terms are commonly used in academic and literary contexts, they have distinct meanings and should be used appropriately. Let’s explore how to use these words correctly.

How To Use “Theme” In A Sentence

The word “theme” refers to a central idea or concept that is explored or developed in a work of literature, art, or any other form of creative expression. When using “theme” in a sentence, it is important to provide context and clarity to ensure your message is effectively conveyed.

Here are a few examples of how to use “theme” in a sentence:

The theme of love and betrayal is prevalent throughout Shakespeare’s play, “Romeo and Juliet.”
In her latest novel, the author skillfully explores the theme of identity and self-discovery.
The film beautifully captures the theme of resilience in the face of adversity.

As you can see, when using the word “theme,” it is essential to specify the work or context in which the theme is being discussed. This helps to provide a clear understanding of the central idea being addressed.

How To Use “Thesis” In A Sentence

The word “thesis” typically refers to a statement or theory that is put forward as a premise to be proved or maintained. It is commonly used in academic writing, particularly in research papers and dissertations. When using “thesis” in a sentence, it is crucial to articulate your main argument or claim concisely and precisely.

Here are a few examples of how to use “thesis” in a sentence:

The author’s thesis argues that socioeconomic factors play a significant role in educational attainment.
In his groundbreaking research, Dr. Smith presents a compelling thesis on the effects of climate change.
The thesis of this paper is that technology has revolutionized the way we communicate.

When using the word “thesis,” it is important to clearly state your main argument or hypothesis. This helps to guide your reader and ensures that your point is effectively communicated.

More Examples Of Theme & Thesis Used In Sentences

In this section, we will provide you with a variety of examples that demonstrate the application of both theme and thesis in sentences. These examples will help you grasp a better understanding of how these concepts are used in different contexts.

Examples Of Using Theme In A Sentence

The theme of love and sacrifice is beautifully portrayed in Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet.
In the novel, the author explores the theme of redemption through the protagonist’s journey of self-discovery.
The theme of social inequality is a recurring motif in many works of literature.
The film’s underlying theme of forgiveness resonated deeply with the audience.
Through vivid descriptions and symbolism, the poet conveys the theme of nature’s power and beauty.

Examples Of Using Thesis In A Sentence

The author’s thesis argues that technology has both positive and negative impacts on society.
In his research paper, the student presents a compelling thesis on the effects of climate change.
The thesis of the documentary challenges the conventional wisdom surrounding the origins of the universe.
Through extensive research and analysis, the scholar develops a groundbreaking thesis on the history of ancient civilizations.
The thesis statement of the essay clearly outlines the main argument and supporting points.

Common Mistakes To Avoid

When it comes to discussing academic writing, it is crucial to understand the distinction between theme and thesis. Unfortunately, many individuals tend to use these terms interchangeably, unaware of the significant differences they entail. In order to prevent any confusion and ensure the accuracy of your work, it is important to avoid the following common mistakes:

1. Using Theme And Thesis As Synonyms:

One of the most prevalent mistakes is using theme and thesis as interchangeable terms, assuming they hold the same meaning. However, while both elements play a crucial role in academic writing, they serve distinct purposes and convey different messages.

A theme, in essence, refers to the underlying message or central idea that a writer conveys through their work. It is a broader concept that encapsulates the overall subject matter or topic explored in a piece of writing. Themes are often abstract and can be interpreted differently by various readers.

On the other hand, a thesis statement serves as a concise and specific declaration of the writer’s main argument or claim. It is a focused statement that guides the reader and provides a clear direction for the entire essay or research paper. Unlike a theme, a thesis statement is more concrete and serves as the backbone of the entire piece of writing.

Therefore, it is crucial to avoid using theme and thesis interchangeably, as doing so can lead to confusion and weaken the clarity and effectiveness of your writing.

2. Neglecting The Specificity Of The Thesis Statement:

Another common mistake is failing to recognize the importance of a specific and well-crafted thesis statement. Some writers mistakenly believe that a broad or general statement can suffice as a thesis. However, a strong thesis statement should be clear, concise, and specific, providing a focused argument that can be effectively supported throughout the piece.

By neglecting the specificity of the thesis statement, writers risk presenting vague or ambiguous arguments that lack the necessary depth and coherence. A strong thesis statement should not only guide the reader but also serve as a roadmap for the writer, ensuring that the subsequent paragraphs and evidence align with the central claim.

3. Overemphasizing The Theme At The Expense Of The Thesis:

While themes are undoubtedly important in literary analysis and other forms of academic writing, it is essential to strike a balance between discussing the theme and maintaining a strong thesis statement. Some writers make the mistake of prioritizing the exploration of the theme over the development and support of their thesis, resulting in a lack of focus and coherence.

Remember, the thesis statement should remain the primary focus of your writing, guiding the reader through a well-structured argument. While analyzing the theme is undoubtedly valuable, ensure that it aligns with and supports your thesis, rather than overshadowing it.

4. Failing To Revise And Refine The Thesis Statement:

Lastly, a common mistake is treating the thesis statement as a static element of the writing process. Some writers neglect the importance of revising and refining their thesis statement as they progress through their work. As your understanding of the topic deepens and your argument evolves, it is crucial to revisit and adjust your thesis statement accordingly.

Failure to revise and refine the thesis statement can result in a mismatch between the argument presented and the subsequent content of the essay or research paper. Regularly reassessing and revising your thesis statement ensures that it remains aligned with the evolving nature of your work and maintains its relevance and coherence.

By avoiding these common mistakes, you can enhance the clarity, effectiveness, and overall quality of your academic writing, ensuring that both your theme and thesis statement are utilized correctly and contribute to a well-structured and compelling piece of work.

Context Matters

When it comes to the choice between theme and thesis, context plays a crucial role in determining which one is more suitable. Both theme and thesis serve different purposes and are used in various contexts, depending on the nature of the writing and the intended audience. Understanding the context in which these terms are used can help writers make an informed decision about which one to employ.

Examples Of Different Contexts

Let’s explore a few examples of different contexts and how the choice between theme and thesis might change:

Academic Writing: In academic writing, such as research papers or dissertations, the emphasis is often on presenting a clear and arguable thesis statement. A thesis statement is a concise and focused claim that guides the entire paper and is supported by evidence and analysis. In this context, the thesis statement acts as the main argument or central idea that the writer aims to prove or explore.
Literary Analysis: When analyzing a piece of literature, such as a novel or poem, the focus shifts towards identifying and discussing the underlying themes. Themes are broader concepts or ideas that emerge from the text and provide insights into its deeper meaning. In this context, the theme serves as a lens through which the reader can interpret and understand the work.
Creative Writing: In creative writing, such as short stories or personal essays, the choice between theme and thesis depends on the writer’s intention. If the writer wants to convey a specific message or argument, a thesis statement can be employed to provide a clear focus. On the other hand, if the writer aims to explore various ideas or evoke emotions without a rigid argument, incorporating themes can add depth and richness to the narrative.
Marketing and Advertising: In the realm of marketing and advertising, the choice between theme and thesis depends on the desired impact on the target audience. While a thesis statement may be too direct and formal for promotional materials, a theme can be used to create a cohesive and memorable brand image. Themes in marketing often revolve around core values, emotions, or aspirations associated with a product or service.

These examples illustrate how the choice between theme and thesis can vary depending on the specific context. It is essential for writers to consider the purpose, audience, and desired effect of their writing in order to make an informed decision about which approach to adopt.

Exceptions To The Rules

While it is important to understand the general guidelines for using theme and thesis, there are certain exceptions where these rules may not apply. In these cases, it is crucial to recognize the unique circumstances that call for a different approach. Let’s explore a few key exceptions and provide brief explanations and examples for each case:

1. Creative Writing

In the realm of creative writing, the boundaries between theme and thesis can often blur. Unlike academic or research-based writing, creative writing allows for more artistic freedom and experimentation. In this context, authors may choose to focus more on developing a central theme rather than presenting a clear thesis statement.

For example, in a fictional short story exploring the complexities of human relationships, the author may emphasize the theme of love and its various manifestations. While there may not be a specific thesis statement explicitly stated, the story’s narrative and character interactions contribute to the overarching theme.

2. Personal Essays

Personal essays, particularly those of a reflective or introspective nature, may deviate from the traditional structure of a thesis-driven argument. Instead, these essays often revolve around personal experiences, emotions, and self-discovery.

Consider a personal essay recounting a transformative travel experience. Rather than presenting a thesis statement, the writer might focus on conveying the emotions and insights gained from the journey. The theme of personal growth and cultural exploration becomes the driving force behind the essay, guiding the reader through a meaningful narrative.

3. Philosophical Discourse

In philosophical discourse, the use of theme and thesis can take on a different form. Philosophers often engage in complex discussions and debates, exploring abstract concepts and theories. While a thesis statement may be present, it is more common to encounter philosophical texts centered around a central theme.

For instance, in a philosophical treatise on the nature of existence, the author might explore various perspectives and arguments without a clear-cut thesis statement. Instead, the theme of existentialism permeates the text, guiding the reader through different philosophical inquiries and interpretations.

4. Artistic Interpretations

Artistic expressions, such as paintings, sculptures, or performances, may not conform to the traditional rules of theme and thesis. These forms of art often rely on visual or sensory experiences to convey meaning, rather than explicit written statements.

Imagine a thought-provoking contemporary art installation that challenges societal norms. While it may not present a thesis statement in the conventional sense, the installation may explore a theme of social critique or cultural commentary, encouraging viewers to question and interpret the artwork in their own unique ways.

While the general guidelines for using theme and thesis provide a solid foundation for effective writing, it is essential to recognize that there are exceptions to these rules. Creative writing, personal essays, philosophical discourse, and artistic interpretations often require a different approach, focusing more on themes and narratives rather than explicit thesis statements. By understanding these exceptions, writers can adapt their style and approach to effectively convey their intended message in diverse contexts.

Understanding the distinction between a theme and a thesis is crucial for any writer or reader seeking to engage with complex texts. While both concepts contribute to the overall meaning of a piece of writing, they serve different purposes and operate on different levels.

Themes are overarching ideas or concepts that emerge from a text and provide a lens through which readers can interpret and analyze the work. They often explore universal human experiences, such as love, loss, power, or identity, and can be found in various forms of literature, including novels, poems, and plays. Themes allow readers to connect with the deeper layers of a text and explore its underlying messages and implications.

On the other hand, a thesis is a specific claim or argument that a writer puts forth in their work. It serves as the central focus and guiding principle of an essay or academic paper, providing a clear direction for the reader. A thesis statement outlines the main point or stance the writer is taking and is supported by evidence and analysis throughout the text. Unlike themes, the thesis is more limited in scope and directly addresses the specific topic or issue being discussed.

While themes and theses may intersect at times, they operate on different levels of abstraction and serve distinct purposes in the realm of writing and literary analysis. Recognizing the difference between these two concepts enables readers to engage with texts more critically and allows writers to effectively convey their intended messages.

what's the difference between theme and thesis

R.J. is the new owner of GrammarBeast.com. Having worked in bookstores, libraries, and more, his passion for grammar and writing are pivotal. As a ghostwriter for books that have sold tens of thousands of copies, he wants to help others find the right words and understand the differences.

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Theme vs. Thesis: Key Differences and How to Write each

by Judy Jeni
January 18, 2024

Many students confuse between these two terms, a theme and a thesis. In practice, they are two distinct aspects.

By reading the content in this write-up, you will appreciate the difference between the two items. A theme is a central message in a text, whereas a thesis is an argument about a text.

Theme vs. Thesis

While it is possible to write items based on a theme or a project based on a thesis, the two are different. While their focus may seem similar, they are different.

A theme is a focus topic that a writer bases his argument on. It is the direction that guides the points that a writer argues. On the other hand, a thesis is a stand that a writer seeks to prove in his or her writing.

In a theme, a writer bases points on a concept, but in a thesis, the writer writes to prove a specific assertion.

A theme and a thesis are two different items that we can elaborate through the following points:

A theme is the crucial idea of the piece of literature or any art you are writing about.
It is the recurrent idea in your work before you identify other elements such as characters, conflict, setting, and plot.
A thesis is a statement that you will try to prove by backing it with necessary facts. It is a position that the author takes to maintain a particular argument.

Differences between a Theme and a Thesis

A theme is the general topic of your essay, whereas a thesis is the precise statements that the author tries to prove.
A theme could be more general as the writer cannot necessarily state it expressly. On the other hand, a thesis is a direct message at the beginning of the paragraph that indicates what the entire paper will be talking about.
A theme is the motif of the piece or an underlying idea, whereas the thesis is the argument in favor of something that you believe you are presenting to your audience.

How to Write a Theme Based Essay

A theme-based essay writes about something based on a theme that you can derive from a novel, song, or short story. Before you begin to write such an essay, you should identify the underlying theme in your literature work.

Steps When Writing a Theme Based Essay

1. identify the character.

One should locate the characters that you will discuss in the essay. Such should relate to the identified theme in your essay.

For instance, if you locate ‘violence’ in the novel ‘The Shadow of Death,’ it is reasonable to talk about the characters that promote violence in the novel.

2. Maintain the Chosen Theme

As indicated above, suppose violence is the main theme in the novel, then you should maintain the same thing by writing about violence. Such could include incidences of violence, including blood baths and more.

The point is you should endeavor to remain as close to the theme of violence by highlighting incidences and situations from the novel, drama, or story.

3. Avoid Mixing the Theme with the Key Subject

A theme is not a plot but an idea that binds up the story. It is the message that the author wants to convey to the audience or the readers. It is, therefore, wrong to try to write on the plot or story. Stick to the idea only.

Let your thoughts remain organized and well-knitted in the essay body. In the same vein, the body should relate to the central theme as you refer to the characters and incidents in the source matter.

How to Write a Thesis

One can use the following steps to come up with a strong thesis statement:

Start with a Question

One should come up with a question in case the assignment did not offer the question.

After that, you should state your topic, which is the essential idea of the paper.

This thesis statement is usually a phrase or a few words that summarize the main subject of your paper.

The thesis statement makes the topic to be as precise as possible.

Write an Initial Answer

After performing initial research, it is now time to formulate a tentative answer. At this point, it could be just simple, or you can craft it to guide the process of writing and researching.

In case you are writing an argumentative essay, your answer should take a position on the matter. This is different from a thesis statement. Check more about thesis statements to know the idea of the two.

Develop the Answer

This section should prove why you believe it is your answer and convince the reader to agree with your position.

The more you write about the topic, the more you develop more details for your response. The final essay should summarize your overall arguments.

One should know what they are trying to prove in a topic. While you are expressing your opinion, it is vital to state one major idea. Also, you should name the topic and state something specific about it.

Furthermore, you should take a position and back it up with facts and reasons as an author. It is vital to support your reasons with evidence and logical facts.

Include Opposing Viewpoint

The correct thesis statement should acknowledge that there is another side of the argument. It is excellent to include your opposing viewpoints in your opinion. It is also essential to capture another person’s view who may have a different opinion about your topic.

Process , Writing

What are Thesis and Theme?

Going Back to the Basics:

Thesis and theme are two words that everyone knows they know but they typically can’t describe these terms succinctly. Chances are, unless you’re in a writing-dominated field, you probably haven’t given these terms much thought since college or high school English classes. That’s okay, but if you’re embarking on writing a book, you’ll need to brush up on these key terms.

Thesis and theme are the foundations of all writing, professional or informal. They both convey the subject of the text. Despite this similarity, there’s a stark difference between the functions of the thesis and the theme.

The theme of a piece of writing is less intricate than its thesis. A theme is the main idea of a paper. It can be described in a word or short phrase, and these themes are demonstrated throughout the work by the content. Within a longer piece, such as an article or a book, there can be multiple themes. Oftentimes, these are divided by chapters or headings. Theme offers some room for interpretation—while the overall message should be received the same by each reader, the word(s) they use to describe it has some flexibility.

That’s not the case with the thesis statement. A thesis statement is the argument that a writer constructs throughout the work. It can be described in a phrase, sentence, or even a paragraph. The thesis statement must define the purpose of the paper, mention the points you’ll explore, and serve as an abbreviated summary of the work. There’s the misconception that a thesis statement and a topic sentence are interchangeable terms. While the thesis statement may act as a topic sentence, it usually comes later in the introductory text and it’s more specific than topic sentences are allowed to be.

A strong thesis requires some effort and workshopping. When you’re writing the outline for your book, determine the core ideas that you want to discuss, think about your purpose for writing, and then find a way to piece all of the components together. A key to obtaining a good thesis is to unify your key points and be specific about your intentions for the piece.

Let’s take a look at an example:

A paper on traditional vs independent publishing can have themes of diversity, empowerment, change through social media, individual identity, etc. Subheadings would show these themes for each of the sections throughout the paper.

A topic sentence could be: “In the internet age, small independent publishing is growing as an alternative for authors .” This is a fact that can be proven; it doesn’t show the author’s opinion or intention for the paper.

But a thesis statement would be: “ Small presses use social media as a tool to celebrate the diverse voices that they publish while enacting slow scale social change through challenging identities perpetuated by the media.” Now that thesis encompasses a lot of topics that the reader will expect to have reviewed. It also makes an argument for how small presses operate and what their lasting effects might be.

Your thesis should be just as specific, though it doesn’t have to be as polished and complete before you start writing your book. However, you should still have a placeholder thesis statement to guide you through your writing. Later, you can refine your thesis to better reflect the content you cover. I suggest having several people review your thesis statement to make sure it’s 1) clear, 2) concise, and 3) accurately describes what your book is about. If your thesis is still giving you trouble, try completing some thesis exercises, available in most writing books and online.

We understand the fundamental importance of crafting a clear and compelling thesis statement to guide your writing journey. Our experienced team is dedicated to helping you articulate your core ideas and intentions effectively, ensuring that your book’s thesis serves as a strong foundation for your narrative. With our comprehensive publishing services, including writing, editing, and promotion, we can support you every step of the way to transform your manuscript into a polished and impactful book.

Schedule a call with us today to discover how BrightRay Publishing can help you bring your book to life and share your message with the world.

Emily Batdorf
July 30, 2021

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What Is a Thesis? | Ultimate Guide & Examples

What Is a Thesis? | Ultimate Guide & Examples

Published on September 14, 2022 by Tegan George . Revised on April 16, 2024.

A thesis is a type of research paper based on your original research. It is usually submitted as the final step of a master’s program or a capstone to a bachelor’s degree.

Writing a thesis can be a daunting experience. Other than a dissertation , it is one of the longest pieces of writing students typically complete. It relies on your ability to conduct research from start to finish: choosing a relevant topic , crafting a proposal , designing your research , collecting data , developing a robust analysis, drawing strong conclusions , and writing concisely .

Thesis template

You can also download our full thesis template in the format of your choice below. Our template includes a ready-made table of contents , as well as guidance for what each chapter should include. It’s easy to make it your own, and can help you get started.

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Thesis vs. thesis statement, how to structure a thesis, acknowledgements or preface, list of figures and tables, list of abbreviations, introduction, literature review, methodology, reference list, proofreading and editing, defending your thesis, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about theses.

You may have heard the word thesis as a standalone term or as a component of academic writing called a thesis statement . Keep in mind that these are two very different things.

A thesis statement is a very common component of an essay, particularly in the humanities. It usually comprises 1 or 2 sentences in the introduction of your essay , and should clearly and concisely summarize the central points of your academic essay .
A thesis is a long-form piece of academic writing, often taking more than a full semester to complete. It is generally a degree requirement for Master’s programs, and is also sometimes required to complete a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts colleges.
In the US, a dissertation is generally written as a final step toward obtaining a PhD.
In other countries (particularly the UK), a dissertation is generally written at the bachelor’s or master’s level.

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The final structure of your thesis depends on a variety of components, such as:

Your discipline
Your theoretical approach

Humanities theses are often structured more like a longer-form essay . Just like in an essay, you build an argument to support a central thesis.

In both hard and social sciences, theses typically include an introduction , literature review , methodology section , results section , discussion section , and conclusion section . These are each presented in their own dedicated section or chapter. In some cases, you might want to add an appendix .

Thesis examples

We’ve compiled a short list of thesis examples to help you get started.

Example thesis #1: “Abolition, Africans, and Abstraction: the Influence of the ‘Noble Savage’ on British and French Antislavery Thought, 1787-1807” by Suchait Kahlon.
Example thesis #2: “’A Starving Man Helping Another Starving Man’: UNRRA, India, and the Genesis of Global Relief, 1943-1947″ by Julian Saint Reiman.

The very first page of your thesis contains all necessary identifying information, including:

Your full title
Your full name
Your department
Your institution and degree program
Your submission date.

Sometimes the title page also includes your student ID, the name of your supervisor, or the university’s logo. Check out your university’s guidelines if you’re not sure.

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An abstract is a short summary of your thesis. Usually a maximum of 300 words long, it’s should include brief descriptions of your research objectives , methods, results, and conclusions. Though it may seem short, it introduces your work to your audience, serving as a first impression of your thesis.

Theoretical framework

Your literature review can often form the basis for your theoretical framework, but these are not the same thing. A theoretical framework defines and analyzes the concepts and theories that your research hinges on.

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The Writing Center • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Thesis Statements

What this handout is about.

This handout describes what a thesis statement is, how thesis statements work in your writing, and how you can craft or refine one for your draft.

Introduction

Writing in college often takes the form of persuasion—convincing others that you have an interesting, logical point of view on the subject you are studying. Persuasion is a skill you practice regularly in your daily life. You persuade your roommate to clean up, your parents to let you borrow the car, your friend to vote for your favorite candidate or policy. In college, course assignments often ask you to make a persuasive case in writing. You are asked to convince your reader of your point of view. This form of persuasion, often called academic argument, follows a predictable pattern in writing. After a brief introduction of your topic, you state your point of view on the topic directly and often in one sentence. This sentence is the thesis statement, and it serves as a summary of the argument you’ll make in the rest of your paper.

What is a thesis statement?

A thesis statement:

tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject matter under discussion.
is a road map for the paper; in other words, it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper.
directly answers the question asked of you. A thesis is an interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject itself. The subject, or topic, of an essay might be World War II or Moby Dick; a thesis must then offer a way to understand the war or the novel.
makes a claim that others might dispute.
is usually a single sentence near the beginning of your paper (most often, at the end of the first paragraph) that presents your argument to the reader. The rest of the paper, the body of the essay, gathers and organizes evidence that will persuade the reader of the logic of your interpretation.

If your assignment asks you to take a position or develop a claim about a subject, you may need to convey that position or claim in a thesis statement near the beginning of your draft. The assignment may not explicitly state that you need a thesis statement because your instructor may assume you will include one. When in doubt, ask your instructor if the assignment requires a thesis statement. When an assignment asks you to analyze, to interpret, to compare and contrast, to demonstrate cause and effect, or to take a stand on an issue, it is likely that you are being asked to develop a thesis and to support it persuasively. (Check out our handout on understanding assignments for more information.)

How do I create a thesis?

A thesis is the result of a lengthy thinking process. Formulating a thesis is not the first thing you do after reading an essay assignment. Before you develop an argument on any topic, you have to collect and organize evidence, look for possible relationships between known facts (such as surprising contrasts or similarities), and think about the significance of these relationships. Once you do this thinking, you will probably have a “working thesis” that presents a basic or main idea and an argument that you think you can support with evidence. Both the argument and your thesis are likely to need adjustment along the way.

Writers use all kinds of techniques to stimulate their thinking and to help them clarify relationships or comprehend the broader significance of a topic and arrive at a thesis statement. For more ideas on how to get started, see our handout on brainstorming .

How do I know if my thesis is strong?

If there’s time, run it by your instructor or make an appointment at the Writing Center to get some feedback. Even if you do not have time to get advice elsewhere, you can do some thesis evaluation of your own. When reviewing your first draft and its working thesis, ask yourself the following :

Do I answer the question? Re-reading the question prompt after constructing a working thesis can help you fix an argument that misses the focus of the question. If the prompt isn’t phrased as a question, try to rephrase it. For example, “Discuss the effect of X on Y” can be rephrased as “What is the effect of X on Y?”
Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? If your thesis simply states facts that no one would, or even could, disagree with, it’s possible that you are simply providing a summary, rather than making an argument.
Is my thesis statement specific enough? Thesis statements that are too vague often do not have a strong argument. If your thesis contains words like “good” or “successful,” see if you could be more specific: why is something “good”; what specifically makes something “successful”?
Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? If a reader’s first response is likely to be “So what?” then you need to clarify, to forge a relationship, or to connect to a larger issue.
Does my essay support my thesis specifically and without wandering? If your thesis and the body of your essay do not seem to go together, one of them has to change. It’s okay to change your working thesis to reflect things you have figured out in the course of writing your paper. Remember, always reassess and revise your writing as necessary.
Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? If a reader’s first response is “how?” or “why?” your thesis may be too open-ended and lack guidance for the reader. See what you can add to give the reader a better take on your position right from the beginning.

Suppose you are taking a course on contemporary communication, and the instructor hands out the following essay assignment: “Discuss the impact of social media on public awareness.” Looking back at your notes, you might start with this working thesis:

Social media impacts public awareness in both positive and negative ways.

You can use the questions above to help you revise this general statement into a stronger thesis.

Do I answer the question? You can analyze this if you rephrase “discuss the impact” as “what is the impact?” This way, you can see that you’ve answered the question only very generally with the vague “positive and negative ways.”
Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? Not likely. Only people who maintain that social media has a solely positive or solely negative impact could disagree.
Is my thesis statement specific enough? No. What are the positive effects? What are the negative effects?
Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? No. Why are they positive? How are they positive? What are their causes? Why are they negative? How are they negative? What are their causes?
Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? No. Why should anyone care about the positive and/or negative impact of social media?

After thinking about your answers to these questions, you decide to focus on the one impact you feel strongly about and have strong evidence for:

Because not every voice on social media is reliable, people have become much more critical consumers of information, and thus, more informed voters.

This version is a much stronger thesis! It answers the question, takes a specific position that others can challenge, and it gives a sense of why it matters.

Let’s try another. Suppose your literature professor hands out the following assignment in a class on the American novel: Write an analysis of some aspect of Mark Twain’s novel Huckleberry Finn. “This will be easy,” you think. “I loved Huckleberry Finn!” You grab a pad of paper and write:

Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn is a great American novel.

You begin to analyze your thesis:

Do I answer the question? No. The prompt asks you to analyze some aspect of the novel. Your working thesis is a statement of general appreciation for the entire novel.

Think about aspects of the novel that are important to its structure or meaning—for example, the role of storytelling, the contrasting scenes between the shore and the river, or the relationships between adults and children. Now you write:

In Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain develops a contrast between life on the river and life on the shore.

Do I answer the question? Yes!
Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? Not really. This contrast is well-known and accepted.
Is my thesis statement specific enough? It’s getting there–you have highlighted an important aspect of the novel for investigation. However, it’s still not clear what your analysis will reveal.
Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? Not yet. Compare scenes from the book and see what you discover. Free write, make lists, jot down Huck’s actions and reactions and anything else that seems interesting.
Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? What’s the point of this contrast? What does it signify?”

After examining the evidence and considering your own insights, you write:

Through its contrasting river and shore scenes, Twain’s Huckleberry Finn suggests that to find the true expression of American democratic ideals, one must leave “civilized” society and go back to nature.

This final thesis statement presents an interpretation of a literary work based on an analysis of its content. Of course, for the essay itself to be successful, you must now present evidence from the novel that will convince the reader of your interpretation.

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Anson, Chris M., and Robert A. Schwegler. 2010. The Longman Handbook for Writers and Readers , 6th ed. New York: Longman.

Lunsford, Andrea A. 2015. The St. Martin’s Handbook , 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St Martin’s.

Ramage, John D., John C. Bean, and June Johnson. 2018. The Allyn & Bacon Guide to Writing , 8th ed. New York: Pearson.

Ruszkiewicz, John J., Christy Friend, Daniel Seward, and Maxine Hairston. 2010. The Scott, Foresman Handbook for Writers , 9th ed. Boston: Pearson Education.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Definition of Theme

Come, gentle night ; come, loving, black-browed night; Give me my Romeo; and, when I shall die, Take him and cut him out in little stars, And he will make the face of heaven so fine That all the world will be in love with night

Common Examples of Literary Themes

Many works of literature share common themes and central ideas. As a literary device, theme allows the author to present and reveal all aspects of human nature and the human condition. This enhances the enjoyment and significance of a literary work for readers by encouraging thought, interpretation, and analysis. Discovery and analysis of theme is also one of the primary reasons that readers return to “classic” literary works that are centuries old. There is no end or expiration to the significance and impact theme can have on readers of literature.

Famous Examples of Disney Movies and Their Themes

Difference between theme and subject matter.

Sometimes it can be difficult to determine the difference between the theme and subject matter of a literary work. They are both closely related to each other; however, the subject matter is the topic that is overtly addressed and presented by the writer whereas the theme is the meaning or underlying message that is imparted through the writing.

Examples of Theme in Literature

As a literary device, the purpose of theme is the main idea or underlying meaning that is explored by a writer in a work of literature. Writers can utilize a combination of elements in order to convey a story’s theme, including setting , plot , characters, dialogue , and more. For certain works of literature, such as fables , the theme is typically a “ moral ” or lesson for the reader. However, more complex works of literature tend to have a central theme that is open to interpretation and reflects a basic aspect of society or trait of humanity. Many longer works of literature, such as novels, convey several themes in order to explore the universality of human nature.

Example 1: The Yellow Wall-Paper (Charlotte Perkins Gilman)

If a physician of high standing, and one’s own husband, assures friends and relatives that there is really nothing the matter with one but temporary nervous depression – a slight hysterical tendency – what is one to do? My brother is also a physician, and also of high standing, and he says the same thing. • So I take phosphates or phosphites whichever it is, and tonics, and journeys, and air, and exercise, and am absolutely forbidden to “work” until I am well again. Personally, I disagree with their ideas. Personally, I believe that congenial work, with excitement and change, would do me good.

In her short story , Charlotte Perkins Gilman holds forth a revolutionary theme for the time period. The protagonist of the story is kept in a room with sickly yellow wall-paper as a means of “curing” her emotional and mental difficulties. Her husband, brother, and others are committed to keeping her idle. She is even separated from her baby. Rather than allow the narrator any agency over her daily life, they disregard her words and requests for the fact that she is a woman and considered incompetent.

Example 2: Harlem (Langston Hughes)

What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun ? Or fester like a sore— And then run? Does it stink like rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over— like a syrupy sweet? Maybe it just sags like a heavy load. Or does it explode?

Hughes’s well-known poem explores the universality of hope and dreams among humans and the devastating legacy of oppression in deferring such hope and dreams. Hughes structures the poem in the form of questions and responses addressing what happens to a dream deferred. This calls on the reader to consider their own dreams as well those of others, which underscores the theme that dreams, and the hope associated with them, is universal–regardless of race, faith, etc.

Example 3: A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (James Joyce)

I will tell you what I will do and what I will not do. I will not serve that in which I no longer believe, whether it calls itself my home, my fatherland, or my church: and I will try to express myself in some mode of life or art as freely as I can and as wholly as I can, using for my defense the only arms I allow myself to use — silence , exile , and cunning.

Post navigation.

While Sandel argues that pursuing perfection through genetic engineering would decrease our sense of humility, he claims that the sense of solidarity we would lose is also important.

This thesis summarizes several points in Sandel’s argument, but it does not make a claim about how we should understand his argument. A reader who read Sandel’s argument would not also need to read an essay based on this descriptive thesis.

Broad thesis (arguable, but difficult to support with evidence)

Michael Sandel’s arguments about genetic engineering do not take into consideration all the relevant issues.

This is an arguable claim because it would be possible to argue against it by saying that Michael Sandel’s arguments do take all of the relevant issues into consideration. But the claim is too broad. Because the thesis does not specify which “issues” it is focused on—or why it matters if they are considered—readers won’t know what the rest of the essay will argue, and the writer won’t know what to focus on. If there is a particular issue that Sandel does not address, then a more specific version of the thesis would include that issue—hand an explanation of why it is important.

Arguable thesis with analytical claim

While Sandel argues persuasively that our instinct to “remake” (54) ourselves into something ever more perfect is a problem, his belief that we can always draw a line between what is medically necessary and what makes us simply “better than well” (51) is less convincing.

This is an arguable analytical claim. To argue for this claim, the essay writer will need to show how evidence from the article itself points to this interpretation. It’s also a reasonable scope for a thesis because it can be supported with evidence available in the text and is neither too broad nor too narrow.

Arguable thesis with normative claim

Given Sandel’s argument against genetic enhancement, we should not allow parents to decide on using Human Growth Hormone for their children.

This thesis tells us what we should do about a particular issue discussed in Sandel’s article, but it does not tell us how we should understand Sandel’s argument.

Questions to ask about your thesis

Is the thesis truly arguable? Does it speak to a genuine dilemma in the source, or would most readers automatically agree with it?
Is the thesis too obvious? Again, would most or all readers agree with it without needing to see your argument?
Is the thesis complex enough to require a whole essay's worth of argument?
Is the thesis supportable with evidence from the text rather than with generalizations or outside research?
Would anyone want to read a paper in which this thesis was developed? That is, can you explain what this paper is adding to our understanding of a problem, question, or topic?
picture_as_pdf Thesis

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What is a thesis | A Complete Guide with Examples

A thesis is a comprehensive academic paper based on your original research that presents new findings, arguments, and ideas of your study. It’s typically submitted at the end of your master’s degree or as a capstone of your bachelor’s degree.

However, writing a thesis can be laborious, especially for beginners. From the initial challenge of pinpointing a compelling research topic to organizing and presenting findings, the process is filled with potential pitfalls.

Therefore, to help you, this guide talks about what is a thesis. Additionally, it offers revelations and methodologies to transform it from an overwhelming task to a manageable and rewarding academic milestone.

What is a thesis?

A thesis is an in-depth research study that identifies a particular topic of inquiry and presents a clear argument or perspective about that topic using evidence and logic.

Writing a thesis showcases your ability of critical thinking, gathering evidence, and making a compelling argument. Integral to these competencies is thorough research, which not only fortifies your propositions but also confers credibility to your entire study.

Furthermore, there's another phenomenon you might often confuse with the thesis: the ' working thesis .' However, they aren't similar and shouldn't be used interchangeably.

A working thesis, often referred to as a preliminary or tentative thesis, is an initial version of your thesis statement. It serves as a draft or a starting point that guides your research in its early stages.

As you research more and gather more evidence, your initial thesis (aka working thesis) might change. It's like a starting point that can be adjusted as you learn more. It's normal for your main topic to change a few times before you finalize it.

While a thesis identifies and provides an overarching argument, the key to clearly communicating the central point of that argument lies in writing a strong thesis statement.

What is a thesis statement?

A strong thesis statement (aka thesis sentence) is a concise summary of the main argument or claim of the paper. It serves as a critical anchor in any academic work, succinctly encapsulating the primary argument or main idea of the entire paper.

Typically found within the introductory section, a strong thesis statement acts as a roadmap of your thesis, directing readers through your arguments and findings. By delineating the core focus of your investigation, it offers readers an immediate understanding of the context and the gravity of your study.

Furthermore, an effectively crafted thesis statement can set forth the boundaries of your research, helping readers anticipate the specific areas of inquiry you are addressing.

Different types of thesis statements

A good thesis statement is clear, specific, and arguable. Therefore, it is necessary for you to choose the right type of thesis statement for your academic papers.

Thesis statements can be classified based on their purpose and structure. Here are the primary types of thesis statements:

Argumentative (or Persuasive) thesis statement

Purpose : To convince the reader of a particular stance or point of view by presenting evidence and formulating a compelling argument.

Example : Reducing plastic use in daily life is essential for environmental health.

Analytical thesis statement

Purpose : To break down an idea or issue into its components and evaluate it.

Example : By examining the long-term effects, social implications, and economic impact of climate change, it becomes evident that immediate global action is necessary.

Expository (or Descriptive) thesis statement

Purpose : To explain a topic or subject to the reader.

Example : The Great Depression, spanning the 1930s, was a severe worldwide economic downturn triggered by a stock market crash, bank failures, and reduced consumer spending.

Cause and effect thesis statement

Purpose : To demonstrate a cause and its resulting effect.

Example : Overuse of smartphones can lead to impaired sleep patterns, reduced face-to-face social interactions, and increased levels of anxiety.

Compare and contrast thesis statement

Purpose : To highlight similarities and differences between two subjects.

Example : "While both novels '1984' and 'Brave New World' delve into dystopian futures, they differ in their portrayal of individual freedom, societal control, and the role of technology."

When you write a thesis statement , it's important to ensure clarity and precision, so the reader immediately understands the central focus of your work.

What is the difference between a thesis and a thesis statement?

While both terms are frequently used interchangeably, they have distinct meanings.

A thesis refers to the entire research document, encompassing all its chapters and sections. In contrast, a thesis statement is a brief assertion that encapsulates the central argument of the research.

Here’s an in-depth differentiation table of a thesis and a thesis statement.

Aspect	Thesis	Thesis Statement
Definition	An extensive document presenting the author's research and findings, typically for a degree or professional qualification.	A concise sentence or two in an essay or research paper that outlines the main idea or argument.
Position	It’s the entire document on its own.	Typically found at the end of the introduction of an essay, research paper, or thesis.
Components	Introduction, methodology, results, conclusions, and bibliography or references.	Doesn't include any specific components
Purpose	Provides detailed research, presents findings, and contributes to a field of study.	To guide the reader about the main point or argument of the paper or essay.

Now, to craft a compelling thesis, it's crucial to adhere to a specific structure. Let’s break down these essential components that make up a thesis structure

15 components of a thesis structure

Navigating a thesis can be daunting. However, understanding its structure can make the process more manageable.

Here are the key components or different sections of a thesis structure:

Your thesis begins with the title page. It's not just a formality but the gateway to your research.

Here, you'll prominently display the necessary information about you (the author) and your institutional details.

Title of your thesis
Your full name
Your department
Your institution and degree program
Your submission date
Your Supervisor's name (in some cases)
Your Department or faculty (in some cases)
Your University's logo (in some cases)
Your Student ID (in some cases)

In a concise manner, you'll have to summarize the critical aspects of your research in typically no more than 200-300 words.

This includes the problem statement, methodology, key findings, and conclusions. For many, the abstract will determine if they delve deeper into your work, so ensure it's clear and compelling.

Acknowledgments

Research is rarely a solitary endeavor. In the acknowledgments section, you have the chance to express gratitude to those who've supported your journey.

This might include advisors, peers, institutions, or even personal sources of inspiration and support. It's a personal touch, reflecting the humanity behind the academic rigor.

A roadmap for your readers, the table of contents lists the chapters, sections, and subsections of your thesis.

By providing page numbers, you allow readers to navigate your work easily, jumping to sections that pique their interest.

List of figures and tables

Research often involves data, and presenting this data visually can enhance understanding. This section provides an organized listing of all figures and tables in your thesis.

It's a visual index, ensuring that readers can quickly locate and reference your graphical data.

Introduction

Here's where you introduce your research topic, articulate the research question or objective, and outline the significance of your study.

Present the research topic : Clearly articulate the central theme or subject of your research.
Background information : Ground your research topic, providing any necessary context or background information your readers might need to understand the significance of your study.
Define the scope : Clearly delineate the boundaries of your research, indicating what will and won't be covered.
Literature review : Introduce any relevant existing research on your topic, situating your work within the broader academic conversation and highlighting where your research fits in.
State the research Question(s) or objective(s) : Clearly articulate the primary questions or objectives your research aims to address.
Outline the study's structure : Give a brief overview of how the subsequent sections of your work will unfold, guiding your readers through the journey ahead.

The introduction should captivate your readers, making them eager to delve deeper into your research journey.

Literature review section

Your study correlates with existing research. Therefore, in the literature review section, you'll engage in a dialogue with existing knowledge, highlighting relevant studies, theories, and findings.

It's here that you identify gaps in the current knowledge, positioning your research as a bridge to new insights.

To streamline this process, consider leveraging AI tools. For example, the SciSpace literature review tool enables you to efficiently explore and delve into research papers, simplifying your literature review journey.

Methodology

In the research methodology section, you’ll detail the tools, techniques, and processes you employed to gather and analyze data. This section will inform the readers about how you approached your research questions and ensures the reproducibility of your study.

Here's a breakdown of what it should encompass:

Research Design : Describe the overall structure and approach of your research. Are you conducting a qualitative study with in-depth interviews? Or is it a quantitative study using statistical analysis? Perhaps it's a mixed-methods approach?
Data Collection : Detail the methods you used to gather data. This could include surveys, experiments, observations, interviews, archival research, etc. Mention where you sourced your data, the duration of data collection, and any tools or instruments used.
Sampling : If applicable, explain how you selected participants or data sources for your study. Discuss the size of your sample and the rationale behind choosing it.
Data Analysis : Describe the techniques and tools you used to process and analyze the data. This could range from statistical tests in quantitative research to thematic analysis in qualitative research.
Validity and Reliability : Address the steps you took to ensure the validity and reliability of your findings to ensure that your results are both accurate and consistent.
Ethical Considerations : Highlight any ethical issues related to your research and the measures you took to address them, including — informed consent, confidentiality, and data storage and protection measures.

Moreover, different research questions necessitate different types of methodologies. For instance:

Experimental methodology : Often used in sciences, this involves a controlled experiment to discern causality.
Qualitative methodology : Employed when exploring patterns or phenomena without numerical data. Methods can include interviews, focus groups, or content analysis.
Quantitative methodology : Concerned with measurable data and often involves statistical analysis. Surveys and structured observations are common tools here.
Mixed methods : As the name implies, this combines both qualitative and quantitative methodologies.

The Methodology section isn’t just about detailing the methods but also justifying why they were chosen. The appropriateness of the methods in addressing your research question can significantly impact the credibility of your findings.

Results (or Findings)

This section presents the outcomes of your research. It's crucial to note that the nature of your results may vary; they could be quantitative, qualitative, or a mix of both.

Quantitative results often present statistical data, showcasing measurable outcomes, and they benefit from tables, graphs, and figures to depict these data points.

Qualitative results , on the other hand, might delve into patterns, themes, or narratives derived from non-numerical data, such as interviews or observations.

Regardless of the nature of your results, clarity is essential. This section is purely about presenting the data without offering interpretations — that comes later in the discussion.

In the discussion section, the raw data transforms into valuable insights.

Start by revisiting your research question and contrast it with the findings. How do your results expand, constrict, or challenge current academic conversations?

Dive into the intricacies of the data, guiding the reader through its implications. Detail potential limitations transparently, signaling your awareness of the research's boundaries. This is where your academic voice should be resonant and confident.

Practical implications (Recommendation) section

Based on the insights derived from your research, this section provides actionable suggestions or proposed solutions.

Whether aimed at industry professionals or the general public, recommendations translate your academic findings into potential real-world actions. They help readers understand the practical implications of your work and how it can be applied to effect change or improvement in a given field.

When crafting recommendations, it's essential to ensure they're feasible and rooted in the evidence provided by your research. They shouldn't merely be aspirational but should offer a clear path forward, grounded in your findings.

The conclusion provides closure to your research narrative.

It's not merely a recap but a synthesis of your main findings and their broader implications. Reconnect with the research questions or hypotheses posited at the beginning, offering clear answers based on your findings.

Reflect on the broader contributions of your study, considering its impact on the academic community and potential real-world applications.

Lastly, the conclusion should leave your readers with a clear understanding of the value and impact of your study.

References (or Bibliography)

Every theory you've expounded upon, every data point you've cited, and every methodological precedent you've followed finds its acknowledgment here.

In references, it's crucial to ensure meticulous consistency in formatting, mirroring the specific guidelines of the chosen citation style .

Proper referencing helps to avoid plagiarism , gives credit to original ideas, and allows readers to explore topics of interest. Moreover, it situates your work within the continuum of academic knowledge.

To properly cite the sources used in the study, you can rely on online citation generator tools to generate accurate citations!

Here’s more on how you can cite your sources.

Often, the depth of research produces a wealth of material that, while crucial, can make the core content of the thesis cumbersome. The appendix is where you mention extra information that supports your research but isn't central to the main text.

Whether it's raw datasets, detailed procedural methodologies, extended case studies, or any other ancillary material, the appendices ensure that these elements are archived for reference without breaking the main narrative's flow.

For thorough researchers and readers keen on meticulous details, the appendices provide a treasure trove of insights.

Glossary (optional)

In academics, specialized terminologies, and jargon are inevitable. However, not every reader is versed in every term.

The glossary, while optional, is a critical tool for accessibility. It's a bridge ensuring that even readers from outside the discipline can access, understand, and appreciate your work.

By defining complex terms and providing context, you're inviting a wider audience to engage with your research, enhancing its reach and impact.

Remember, while these components provide a structured framework, the essence of your thesis lies in the originality of your ideas, the rigor of your research, and the clarity of your presentation.

As you craft each section, keep your readers in mind, ensuring that your passion and dedication shine through every page.

Thesis examples

To further elucidate the concept of a thesis, here are illustrative examples from various fields:

Example 1 (History): Abolition, Africans, and Abstraction: the Influence of the ‘Noble Savage’ on British and French Antislavery Thought, 1787-1807 by Suchait Kahlon.

Example 2 (Climate Dynamics): Influence of external forcings on abrupt millennial-scale climate changes: a statistical modelling study by Takahito Mitsui · Michel Crucifix

Checklist for your thesis evaluation

Evaluating your thesis ensures that your research meets the standards of academia. Here's an elaborate checklist to guide you through this critical process.

Content and structure

Is the thesis statement clear, concise, and debatable?
Does the introduction provide sufficient background and context?
Is the literature review comprehensive, relevant, and well-organized?
Does the methodology section clearly describe and justify the research methods?
Are the results/findings presented clearly and logically?
Does the discussion interpret the results in light of the research question and existing literature?
Is the conclusion summarizing the research and suggesting future directions or implications?

Clarity and coherence

Is the writing clear and free of jargon?
Are ideas and sections logically connected and flowing?
Is there a clear narrative or argument throughout the thesis?

Research quality

Is the research question significant and relevant?
Are the research methods appropriate for the question?
Is the sample size (if applicable) adequate?
Are the data analysis techniques appropriate and correctly applied?
Are potential biases or limitations addressed?

Originality and significance

Does the thesis contribute new knowledge or insights to the field?
Is the research grounded in existing literature while offering fresh perspectives?

Formatting and presentation

Is the thesis formatted according to institutional guidelines?
Are figures, tables, and charts clear, labeled, and referenced in the text?
Is the bibliography or reference list complete and consistently formatted?
Are appendices relevant and appropriately referenced in the main text?

Grammar and language

Is the thesis free of grammatical and spelling errors?
Is the language professional, consistent, and appropriate for an academic audience?
Are quotations and paraphrased material correctly cited?

Feedback and revision

Have you sought feedback from peers, advisors, or experts in the field?
Have you addressed the feedback and made the necessary revisions?

Overall assessment

Does the thesis as a whole feel cohesive and comprehensive?
Would the thesis be understandable and valuable to someone in your field?

Ensure to use this checklist to leave no ground for doubt or missed information in your thesis.

After writing your thesis, the next step is to discuss and defend your findings verbally in front of a knowledgeable panel. You’ve to be well prepared as your professors may grade your presentation abilities.

Preparing your thesis defense

A thesis defense, also known as "defending the thesis," is the culmination of a scholar's research journey. It's the final frontier, where you’ll present their findings and face scrutiny from a panel of experts.

Typically, the defense involves a public presentation where you’ll have to outline your study, followed by a question-and-answer session with a committee of experts. This committee assesses the validity, originality, and significance of the research.

The defense serves as a rite of passage for scholars. It's an opportunity to showcase expertise, address criticisms, and refine arguments. A successful defense not only validates the research but also establishes your authority as a researcher in your field.

Here’s how you can effectively prepare for your thesis defense .

Now, having touched upon the process of defending a thesis, it's worth noting that scholarly work can take various forms, depending on academic and regional practices.

One such form, often paralleled with the thesis, is the 'dissertation.' But what differentiates the two?

Dissertation vs. Thesis

Often used interchangeably in casual discourse, they refer to distinct research projects undertaken at different levels of higher education.

To the uninitiated, understanding their meaning might be elusive. So, let's demystify these terms and delve into their core differences.

Here's a table differentiating between the two.

Aspect	Thesis	Dissertation
Purpose	Often for a master's degree, showcasing a grasp of existing research	Primarily for a doctoral degree, contributing new knowledge to the field
Length	100 pages, focusing on a specific topic or question.	400-500 pages, involving deep research and comprehensive findings
Research Depth	Builds upon existing research	Involves original and groundbreaking research
Advisor's Role	Guides the research process	Acts more as a consultant, allowing the student to take the lead
Outcome	Demonstrates understanding of the subject	Proves capability to conduct independent and original research

Wrapping up

From understanding the foundational concept of a thesis to navigating its various components, differentiating it from a dissertation, and recognizing the importance of proper citation — this guide covers it all.

As scholars and readers, understanding these nuances not only aids in academic pursuits but also fosters a deeper appreciation for the relentless quest for knowledge that drives academia.

It’s important to remember that every thesis is a testament to curiosity, dedication, and the indomitable spirit of discovery.

Good luck with your thesis writing!

Frequently Asked Questions

A thesis typically ranges between 40-80 pages, but its length can vary based on the research topic, institution guidelines, and level of study.

A PhD thesis usually spans 200-300 pages, though this can vary based on the discipline, complexity of the research, and institutional requirements.

To identify a thesis topic, consider current trends in your field, gaps in existing literature, personal interests, and discussions with advisors or mentors. Additionally, reviewing related journals and conference proceedings can provide insights into potential areas of exploration.

The conceptual framework is often situated in the literature review or theoretical framework section of a thesis. It helps set the stage by providing the context, defining key concepts, and explaining the relationships between variables.

A thesis statement should be concise, clear, and specific. It should state the main argument or point of your research. Start by pinpointing the central question or issue your research addresses, then condense that into a single statement, ensuring it reflects the essence of your paper.

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What a Thesis Paper is and How to Write One

A student sitting at her laptop working on her college thesis paper.

From choosing a topic and conducting research to crafting a strong argument, writing a thesis paper can be a rewarding experience.

It can also be a challenging experience. If you've never written a thesis paper before, you may not know where to start. You may not even be sure exactly what a thesis paper is. But don't worry; the right support and resources can help you navigate this writing process.

What is a Thesis Paper?

A thesis paper is a type of academic essay that you might write as a graduation requirement for certain bachelor's, master's or honors programs. Thesis papers present your own original research or analysis on a specific topic related to your field.

“In some ways, a thesis paper can look a lot like a novella,” said Shana Chartier , director of information literacy at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU). “It’s too short to be a full-length novel, but with the standard size of 40-60 pages (for a bachelor’s) and 60-100 pages (for a master’s), it is a robust exploration of a topic, explaining one’s understanding of a topic based on personal research.”

Chartier has worked in academia for over 13 years and at SNHU for nearly eight. In her role as an instructor and director, Chartier has helped to guide students through the writing process, like editing and providing resources.

Chartier has written and published academic papers such as "Augmented Reality Gamifies the Library: A Ride Through the Technological Frontier" and "Going Beyond the One-Shot: Spiraling Information Literacy Across Four Years." Both of these academic papers required Chartier to have hands-on experience with the subject matter. Like a thesis paper, they also involved hypothesizing and doing original research to come to a conclusion.

“When writing a thesis paper, the importance of staying organized cannot be overstated,” said Chartier. “Mapping out each step of the way, making firm and soft deadlines... and having other pairs of eyes on your work to ensure academic accuracy and clean editing are crucial to writing a successful paper.”

How Do I Choose a Topic For My Thesis Paper?

What your thesis paper is for will determine some of the specific requirements and steps you might take, but the first step is usually the same: Choosing a topic.

“Choosing a topic can be daunting," said Rochelle Attari , a peer tutor at SNHU. "But if (you) stick with a subject (you're) interested in... choosing a topic is much more manageable.”

Similar to a thesis, Attari recently finished the capstone for her bachelor’s in psychology . Her bachelor’s concentration is in forensics, and her capstone focused on the topic of using a combined therapy model for inmates who experience substance abuse issues to reduce recidivism.

“The hardest part was deciding what I wanted to focus on,” Attari said. “But once I nailed down my topic, each milestone was more straightforward.”

In her own writing experience, Attari said brainstorming was an important step when choosing her topic. She recommends writing down different ideas on a piece of paper and doing some preliminary research on what’s already been written on your topic.

By doing this exercise, you can narrow or broaden your ideas until you’ve found a topic you’re excited about. " Brainstorming is essential when writing a paper and is not a last-minute activity,” Attari said.

How Do I Structure My Thesis Paper?

Thesis papers tend to have a standard format with common sections as the building blocks.

While the structure Attari describes below will work for many theses, it’s important to double-check with your program to see if there are any specific requirements. Writing a thesis for a Master of Fine Arts, for example, might actually look more like a fiction novel.

According to Attari, a thesis paper is often structured with the following major sections:

Introduction

Literature review
Methods, results

Now, let’s take a closer look at what each different section should include.

Your introduction is your opportunity to present the topic of your thesis paper. In this section, you can explain why that topic is important. The introduction is also the place to include your thesis statement, which shows your stance in the paper.

Attari said that writing an introduction can be tricky, especially when you're trying to capture your reader’s attention and state your argument.

“I have found that starting with a statement of truth about a topic that pertains to an issue I am writing about typically does the trick,” Attari said. She demonstrated this advice in an example introduction she wrote for a paper on the effects of daylight in Alaska:

In the continental United States, we can always count on the sun rising and setting around the same time each day, but in Alaska, during certain times of the year, the sun rises and does not set for weeks. Research has shown that the sun provides vitamin D and is an essential part of our health, but little is known about how daylight twenty-four hours a day affects the circadian rhythm and sleep.

In the example Attari wrote, she introduces the topic and informs the reader what the paper will cover. Somewhere in her intro, she said she would also include her thesis statement, which might be:

Twenty-four hours of daylight over an extended period does not affect sleep patterns in humans and is not the cause of daytime fatigue in northern Alaska .

Literature Review

In the literature review, you'll look at what information is already out there about your topic. “This is where scholarly articles about your topic are essential,” said Attari. “These articles will help you find the gap in research that you have identified and will also support your thesis statement."

Telling your reader what research has already been done will help them see how your research fits into the larger conversation. Most university libraries offer databases of scholarly/peer-reviewed articles that can be helpful in your search.

In the methods section of your thesis paper, you get to explain how you learned what you learned. This might include what experiment you conducted as a part of your independent research.

“For instance,” Attari said, “if you are a psychology major and have identified a gap in research on which therapies are effective for anxiety, your methods section would consist of the number of participants, the type of experiment and any other particulars you would use for that experiment.”

In this section, you'll explain the results of your study. For example, building on the psychology example Attari outlined, you might share self-reported anxiety levels for participants trying different kinds of therapies. To help you communicate your results clearly, you might include data, charts, tables or other visualizations.

The discussion section of your thesis paper is where you will analyze and interpret the results you presented in the previous section. This is where you can discuss what your findings really mean or compare them to the research you found in your literature review.

The discussion section is your chance to show why the data you collected matters and how it fits into bigger conversations in your field.

The conclusion of your thesis paper is your opportunity to sum up your argument and leave your reader thinking about why your research matters.

Attari breaks the conclusion down into simple parts. “You restate the original issue and thesis statement, explain the experiment's results and discuss possible next steps for further research,” she said.

Find Your Program

Resources to help write your thesis paper.

While your thesis paper may be based on your independent research, writing it doesn’t have to be a solitary process. Asking for help and using the resources that are available to you can make the process easier.

If you're writing a thesis paper, some resources Chartier encourages you to use are:

Citation Handbooks: An online citation guide or handbook can help you ensure your citations are correct. APA , MLA and Chicago styles have all published their own guides.
Citation Generators: There are many citation generator tools that help you to create citations. Some — like RefWorks — even let you directly import citations from library databases as you research.
Your Library's Website: Many academic and public libraries allow patrons to access resources like databases or FAQs. Some FAQs at the SNHU library that might be helpful in your thesis writing process include “ How do I read a scholarly article? ” or “ What is a research question and how do I develop one? ”

It can also be helpful to check out what coaching or tutoring options are available through your school. At SNHU, for example, the Academic Support Center offers writing and grammar workshops , and students can access 24/7 tutoring and 1:1 sessions with peer tutors, like Attari.

"Students can even submit their papers and receive written feedback... like revisions and editing suggestions," she said.

If you are writing a thesis paper, there are many resources available to you. It's a long paper, but with the right mindset and support, you can successfully navigate the process.

“Pace yourself,” said Chartier. “This is a marathon, not a sprint. Setting smaller goals to get to the big finish line can make the process seem less daunting, and remember to be proud of yourself and celebrate your accomplishment once you’re done. Writing a thesis is no small task, and it’s important work for the scholarly community.”

A degree can change your life. Choose your program from 200+ SNHU degrees that can take you where you want to go.

Meg Palmer ’18 is a writer and scholar by trade who loves reading, riding her bike and singing in a barbershop quartet. She earned her bachelor’s degree in English, language and literature at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) and her master’s degree in writing, rhetoric and discourse at DePaul University (’20). While attending SNHU, she served as the editor-in-chief of the campus student newspaper, The Penmen Press, where she deepened her passion for writing. Meg is an adjunct professor at Johnson and Wales University, where she teaches first year writing, honors composition, and public speaking. Connect with her on LinkedIn .

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Theme Definition

What is theme? Here’s a quick and simple definition:

A theme is a universal idea, lesson, or message explored throughout a work of literature. One key characteristic of literary themes is their universality, which is to say that themes are ideas that not only apply to the specific characters and events of a book or play, but also express broader truths about human experience that readers can apply to their own lives. For instance, John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath (about a family of tenant farmers who are displaced from their land in Oklahoma) is a book whose themes might be said to include the inhumanity of capitalism, as well as the vitality and necessity of family and friendship.

Some additional key details about theme:

All works of literature have themes. The same work can have multiple themes, and many different works explore the same or similar themes.
Themes are sometimes divided into thematic concepts and thematic statements . A work's thematic concept is the broader topic it touches upon (love, forgiveness, pain, etc.) while its thematic statement is what the work says about that topic. For example, the thematic concept of a romance novel might be love, and, depending on what happens in the story, its thematic statement might be that "Love is blind," or that "You can't buy love . "
Themes are almost never stated explicitly. Oftentimes you can identify a work's themes by looking for a repeating symbol , motif , or phrase that appears again and again throughout a story, since it often signals a recurring concept or idea.

Theme Pronunciation

Here's how to pronounce theme: theem

Identifying Themes

Every work of literature—whether it's an essay, a novel, a poem, or something else—has at least one theme. Therefore, when analyzing a given work, it's always possible to discuss what the work is "about" on two separate levels: the more concrete level of the plot (i.e., what literally happens in the work), as well as the more abstract level of the theme (i.e., the concepts that the work deals with). Understanding the themes of a work is vital to understanding the work's significance—which is why, for example, every LitCharts Literature Guide uses a specific set of themes to help analyze the text.

Although some writers set out to explore certain themes in their work before they've even begun writing, many writers begin to write without a preconceived idea of the themes they want to explore—they simply allow the themes to emerge naturally through the writing process. But even when writers do set out to investigate a particular theme, they usually don't identify that theme explicitly in the work itself. Instead, each reader must come to their own conclusions about what themes are at play in a given work, and each reader will likely come away with a unique thematic interpretation or understanding of the work.

Symbol, Motif, and Leitwortstil

Writers often use three literary devices in particular—known as symbol , motif , and leitwortstil —to emphasize or hint at a work's underlying themes. Spotting these elements at work in a text can help you know where to look for its main themes.

Near the beginning of Romeo and Juliet , Benvolio promises to make Romeo feel better about Rosaline's rejection of him by introducing him to more beautiful women, saying "Compare [Rosaline's] face with some that I shall show….and I will make thee think thy swan a crow." Here, the swan is a symbol for how Rosaline appears to the adoring Romeo, while the crow is a symbol for how she will soon appear to him, after he has seen other, more beautiful women.
Symbols might occur once or twice in a book or play to represent an emotion, and in that case aren't necessarily related to a theme. However, if you start to see clusters of similar symbols appearing in a story, this may mean that the symbols are part of an overarching motif, in which case they very likely are related to a theme.
For example, Shakespeare uses the motif of "dark vs. light" in Romeo and Juliet to emphasize one of the play's main themes: the contradictory nature of love. To develop this theme, Shakespeare describes the experience of love by pairing contradictory, opposite symbols next to each other throughout the play: not only crows and swans, but also night and day, moon and sun. These paired symbols all fall into the overall pattern of "dark vs. light," and that overall pattern is called a motif.
A famous example is Kurt Vonnegut's repetition of the phrase "So it goes" throughout his novel Slaughterhouse Five , a novel which centers around the events of World War II. Vonnegut's narrator repeats the phrase each time he recounts a tragic story from the war, an effective demonstration of how the horrors of war have become normalized for the narrator. The constant repetition of the phrase emphasizes the novel's primary themes: the death and destruction of war, and the futility of trying to prevent or escape such destruction, and both of those things coupled with the author's skepticism that any of the destruction is necessary and that war-time tragedies "can't be helped."

Symbol, motif and leitwortstil are simply techniques that authors use to emphasize themes, and should not be confused with the actual thematic content at which they hint. That said, spotting these tools and patterns can give you valuable clues as to what might be the underlying themes of a work.

Thematic Concepts vs. Thematic Statements

A work's thematic concept is the broader topic it touches upon—for instance:

Forgiveness

while its thematic statement is the particular argument the writer makes about that topic through his or her work, such as:

Human judgement is imperfect.
Love cannot be bought.
Getting revenge on someone else will not fix your problems.
Learning to forgive is part of becoming an adult.

Should You Use Thematic Concepts or Thematic Statements?

Some people argue that when describing a theme in a work that simply writing a thematic concept is insufficient, and that instead the theme must be described in a full sentence as a thematic statement. Other people argue that a thematic statement, being a single sentence, usually creates an artificially simplistic description of a theme in a work and is therefore can actually be more misleading than helpful. There isn't really a right answer in this debate.

In our LitCharts literature study guides , we usually identify themes in headings as thematic concepts, and then explain the theme more fully in a few paragraphs. We find thematic statements limiting in fully exploring or explaining a the theme, and so we don't use them. Please note that this doesn't mean we only rely on thematic concepts—we spend paragraphs explaining a theme after we first identify a thematic concept. If you are asked to describe a theme in a text, you probably should usually try to at least develop a thematic statement about the text if you're not given the time or space to describe it more fully. For example, a statement that a book is about "the senselessness of violence" is a lot stronger and more compelling than just saying that the book is about "violence."

Identifying Thematic Statements

One way to try to to identify or describe the thematic statement within a particular work is to think through the following aspects of the text:

Plot: What are the main plot elements in the work, including the arc of the story, setting, and characters. What are the most important moments in the story? How does it end? How is the central conflict resolved?
Protagonist: Who is the main character, and what happens to him or her? How does he or she develop as a person over the course of the story?
Prominent symbols and motifs: Are there any motifs or symbols that are featured prominently in the work—for example, in the title, or recurring at important moments in the story—that might mirror some of the main themes?

After you've thought through these different parts of the text, consider what their answers might tell you about the thematic statement the text might be trying to make about any given thematic concept. The checklist above shouldn't be thought of as a precise formula for theme-finding, but rather as a set of guidelines, which will help you ask the right questions and arrive at an interesting thematic interpretation.

Theme Examples

The following examples not only illustrate how themes develop over the course of a work of literature, but they also demonstrate how paying careful attention to detail as you read will enable you to come to more compelling conclusions about those themes.

Themes in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby

Fitzgerald explores many themes in The Great Gatsby , among them the corruption of the American Dream .

The story's narrator is Minnesota-born Nick Caraway, a New York bonds salesman. Nick befriends Jay Gatsby, the protagonist, who is a wealthy man who throws extravagant parties at his mansion.
The central conflict of the novel is Gatsby's pursuit of Daisy, whom he met and fell in love with as a young man, but parted from during World War I.
He makes a fortune illegally by bootlegging alcohol, to become the sort of wealthy man he believes Daisy is attracted to, then buys a house near her home, where she lives with her husband.
While he does manage to re-enter Daisy's life, she ultimately abandons him and he dies as a result of her reckless, selfish behavior.
Gatsby's house is on the water, and he stares longingly across the water at a green light that hangs at the edge of a dock at Daisy's house which sits across a the bay. The symbol of the light appears multiple times in the novel—during the early stages of Gatsby's longing for Daisy, during his pursuit of her, and after he dies without winning her love. It symbolizes both his longing for daisy and the distance between them (the distance of space and time) that he believes (incorrectly) that he can bridge.
In addition to the green light, the color green appears regularly in the novel. This motif of green broadens and shapes the symbolism of the green light and also influences the novel's themes. While green always remains associated with Gatsby's yearning for Daisy and the past, and also his ambitious striving to regain Daisy, it also through the motif of repeated green becomes associated with money, hypocrisy, and destruction. Gatsby's yearning for Daisy, which is idealistic in some ways, also becomes clearly corrupt in others, which more generally impacts what the novel is saying about dreams more generally and the American Dream in particular.

Gatsby pursues the American Dream, driven by the idea that hard work can lead anyone from poverty to wealth, and he does so for a single reason: he's in love with Daisy. However, he pursues the dream dishonestly, making a fortune by illegal means, and ultimately fails to achieve his goal of winning Daisy's heart. Furthermore, when he actually gets close to winning Daisy's heart, she brings about his downfall. Through the story of Gatsby and Daisy, Fitzgerald expresses the point of view that the American Dream carries at its core an inherent corruption. You can read more about the theme of The American Dream in The Great Gatsby here .

Themes in Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

In Things Fall Apart , Chinua Achebe explores the theme of the dangers of rigidly following tradition .

Okonkwo is obsessed with embodying the masculine ideals of traditional Igbo warrior culture.
Okonkwo's dedication to his clan's traditions is so extreme that it even alienates members of his own family, one of whom joins the Christians.
The central conflict: Okonkwo's community adapts to colonization in order to survive, becoming less warlike and allowing the minor injustices that the colonists inflict upon them to go unchallenged. Okonkwo, however, refuses to adapt.
At the end of the novel, Okonkwo impulsively kills a Christian out of anger. Recognizing that his community does not support his crime, Okonkwo kills himself in despair.
Clanswomen who give birth to twins abandon the babies in the forest to die, according to traditional beliefs that twins are evil.
Okonkwo kills his beloved adopted son, a prisoner of war, according to the clan's traditions.
Okonkwo sacrifices a goat in repentence, after severely beating his wife during the clan's holy week.

Through the tragic story of Okonkwo, Achebe is clearly dealing with the theme of tradition, but a close examination of the text reveals that he's also making a clear thematic statement that following traditions too rigidly leads people to the greatest sacrifice of all: that of personal agency . You can read more about this theme in Things Fall Apart here .

Themes in Robert Frost's The Road Not Taken

Poem's have themes just as plot-driven narratives do. One theme that Robert Frost explores in this famous poem, The Road Not Taken , is the illusory nature of free will .

The poem's speaker stands at a fork in the road, in a "yellow wood."
He (or she) looks down one path as far as possible, then takes the other, which seems less worn.
The speaker then admits that the paths are about equally worn—there's really no way to tell the difference—and that a layer of leaves covers both of the paths, indicating that neither has been traveled recently.
After taking the second path, the speaker finds comfort in the idea of taking the first path sometime in the future, but acknowledges that he or she is unlikely to ever return to that particular fork in the woods.
The speaker imagines how, "with a sigh" she will tell someone in the future, "I took the road less travelled—and that has made all the difference."
By wryly predicting his or her own need to romanticize, and retroactively justify, the chosen path, the speaker injects the poem with an unmistakeable hint of irony .
The speaker's journey is a symbol for life, and the two paths symbolize different life paths, with the road "less-travelled" representing the path of an individualist or lone-wolf. The fork where the two roads diverge represents an important life choice. The road "not taken" represents the life path that the speaker would have pursued had he or she had made different choices.

Frost's speaker has reached a fork in the road, which—according to the symbolic language of the poem—means that he or she must make an important life decision. However, the speaker doesn't really know anything about the choice at hand: the paths appear to be the same from the speaker's vantage point, and there's no way he or she can know where the path will lead in the long term. By showing that the only truly informed choice the speaker makes is how he or she explains their decision after they have already made it , Frost suggests that although we pretend to make our own choices, our lives are actually governed by chance.

What's the Function of Theme in Literature?

Themes are a huge part of what readers ultimately take away from a work of literature when they're done reading it. They're the universal lessons and ideas that we draw from our experiences of works of art: in other words, they're part of the whole reason anyone would want to pick up a book in the first place!

It would be difficult to write any sort of narrative that did not include any kind of theme. The narrative itself would have to be almost completely incoherent in order to seem theme-less, and even then readers would discern a theme about incoherence and meaninglessness. So themes are in that sense an intrinsic part of nearly all writing. At the same time, the themes that a writer is interested in exploring will significantly impact nearly all aspects of how a writer chooses to write a text. Some writers might know the themes they want to explore from the beginning of their writing process, and proceed from there. Others might have only a glimmer of an idea, or have new ideas as they write, and so the themes they address might shift and change as they write. In either case, though, the writer's ideas about his or her themes will influence how they write.

One additional key detail about themes and how they work is that the process of identifying and interpreting them is often very personal and subjective. The subjective experience that readers bring to interpreting a work's themes is part of what makes literature so powerful: reading a book isn't simply a one-directional experience, in which the writer imparts their thoughts on life to the reader, already distilled into clear thematic statements. Rather, the process of reading and interpreting a work to discover its themes is an exchange in which readers parse the text to tease out the themes they find most relevant to their personal experience and interests.

Other Helpful Theme Resources

The Wikipedia Page on Theme: An in-depth explanation of theme that also breaks down the difference between thematic concepts and thematic statements.
The Dictionary Definition of Theme: A basic definition and etymology of the term.
In this instructional video , a teacher explains her process for helping students identify themes.

The printed PDF version of the LitCharts literary term guide on Theme

Onomatopoeia
Deus Ex Machina
Red Herring
Antimetabole
Climax (Plot)
Pathetic Fallacy
Figurative Language
Parallelism
Slant Rhyme
Tragic Hero
Personification

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Theme vs Main Idea: What’s the Difference?

Main idea. Theme. Central idea. Topic. Summary. These are all words we use when teaching literacy skills and discussing texts.

The terms are all so closely related that it can be confusing for students (and sometimes even educators!) to remember what each term means or how and when to use it.

In this article, we compare two often confused terms, theme vs main idea, and discover what makes them different. We’ll also look at other related terms and how they fit into the conversation.

What is the main idea?

What is a theme, differences between theme vs main idea, 6 tools and activities to help students distinguish between the theme and the main idea, 3 tips to teach students the difference between a theme and the main idea, help students learn the main idea with newsela ela.

The main idea of a text is a one-sentence summary of the key details of a story . It answers the question, What is the story mostly about ? The main idea is sometimes confused with other terms like central idea, purpose, summary, and theme. You can usually write the one-sentence main idea of a literary text by including the name of the main character, what problem they’re having, and how they solved or planned to solve it.

Let's look at Disney's "Aladdin" as an example. The main idea statement for this story could read:

Aladdin wants to marry Princess Jasmine but can't because he's a commoner , so he meets Genie and wishes to become a prince .

In this example, Aladdin is the main character. The problem is he wants to marry Princess Jasmine even though he can’t. He solves the problem (more or less) by wishing to become a prince.

Is there a difference between the main idea and the central idea?

Both literary and informational texts can have a main idea. In an informational text, we often call the main idea the central idea. The titles of informational texts, for example, often summarize or give clues about the central idea.

Let's look at an article called "Titanic discoverer took marine archaeology to new depths" from our Sinking of the Titanic text set .

We may not get all the specific information we need to write a one-sentence central idea statement from this title. But we do get clues about what to look for in the text to fill in the blanks. We could write a central idea statement that reads:

Dr. Robert Ballard used technology to discover ancient shipwrecks and make deep-sea archaeology possible.

The title tells us we should look for the name of the Titanic discoverer, and what he did in the field of marine archaeology.

Is there a difference between the main idea and the purpose?

The main idea of a story summarizes the key points the author shares in the text. The purpose of the story is why the author wrote the piece.

Let's look at an article called "How the search for clues in Taylor Swift's music became all-consuming" from our ELA in the Real World collection . We may write a main idea statement like:

Taylor Swift hides clues in her name and promotional materials, which engages fans, sometimes to obsessive levels.

The author's purpose statement could be:

To share information about this unique engagement tactic with readers and analyze what it does to celebrity fan culture.

In this example, the main idea is Taylor Swift’s tactics for engaging with her fans. The “why” of this article is to share that information with fans and analyze why it’s significant.

Is there a difference between the main idea and a summary?

The biggest difference between a summary and the main idea of a story is the length. The main idea summarizes the key points of a text in one sentence. It gives the top-level, most important highlights of a text.

A summary, like one on the back of the book, is usually three to five sentences, or about a paragraph long. Traditional summaries may include extraneous details to provide the reader with more context before they dive into a text.

The theme of a text is a one-sentence recap of the general commonalities that appear throughout the text. It answers the question, What is the message, lesson, or moral of the story? Themes often appear multiple times throughout a text and run through the entire plot or structure of the story.

Variations of the word theme may also come up in other contexts during reading, writing, and analyzing texts. A theme statement or thematic statement gives the author’s viewpoint or opinion on a topic. For example, if summer vacation was the topic, the thematic statement may be, “Summer vacation is necessary for students to relax after nine months of consistent learning.”

Is there a difference between the theme and the topic of a text?

The difference between the theme and the topic, like the main idea and summary, is also the length. Themes are full sentences that describe a one- or two-word topic more in-depth. Common topics for texts include:

These topics could serve as a starting point for a theme. For example:

Self-acceptance is more important than outside validation.

Courage comes from within.

Honesty is an important virtue.

A single act of kindness can make a difference.

The only thing worse than a friend with no loyalty is one with too much loyalty.

Multiple characteristics highlight the differences between the theme and the main idea of a text. They include:

Literary or informational text

According to literacy expert and author Timothy Shanahan, theme is a literary term . It doesn’t apply to informational text. You’ll only have students find the theme when studying a fictional work, like a novel, picture book, or short story.

The main idea is most often used in literary texts. Its synonym, central idea, applies to informational texts. Therefore, both literary and informational texts have a main idea.

Specificity vs generality

The main idea always shares specifics from a story while the theme shares generalities. The main idea of a text only applies to that specific text. It lists the characters’ or subjects’ names and plot points that are unique to the story or article.

Themes are general. The same theme could apply to different texts with different characters or plot points.

For example, let’s return to Disney’s “Aladdin.” Above, we listed the main idea for the story. But it shares common themes with other Disney princess stories, like “Beauty and the Beast” or “The Little Mermaid.” All three stories share themes like, It’s important to learn the true meaning of friendship and You can find love in unexpected situations .

Complexity of the skill

Most students learn how to find the main idea of a text earlier in their education. This usually happens before they learn about themes. That’s because finding the theme requires higher-order thinking.

Most themes aren’t explicit and you have to read between the lines to find them. Finding explicitly stated points of a main idea, like a character name or problem, is less complicated.

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Number of answers

A text will always have just one main idea. Students may write or phrase the main idea slightly differently from one another, but the concept will always be the same. The main idea of “Aladdin” will always include the main characters of Aladdin, Jasmine, and Genie. The plot points like wanting to marry Jasmine and wishing to become a prince won't change.

In contrast, one text could have multiple themes, especially if the text is longer. Some themes may be more obvious or more developed than others throughout the text, but that doesn’t mean others don’t exist.

Identifying questions

Students ask different questions to uncover themes and the main idea of a text. They can ask these questions before, during, or after reading in either case. Questions to ask to find the main idea include:

What is the text about? Can you identify the topic?

What happens in the story? Can you summarize the plot?

What are the most important details in the plot? Summarize in one sentence.

Questions to ask to find the theme include:

What is or are the topic(s) of the story?

What is the author implying about the topic?

What obstacles did the characters face?

What important decisions did the characters make?

How did the characters grow or change throughout the text?

Use these tools and activities to help students understand the differences between the theme and the main idea:

1. Anchor charts

Anchor charts are visuals that illustrate the thoughts, ideas, and processes of a lesson in one place. Create a chart that lists the characteristics and examples of a theme on one side. Add the characteristics and examples of the main idea on the other.

You can create this chart as part of whole-class instruction to involve the students in brainstorming and providing examples. Or, you can create the chart before your lesson. Then, hang it up in the classroom to reference as you teach and as students review and practice.

2. Close reading a well-known text

Close reading a well-known, enjoyable text can make it easier for students to find the main idea and themes in a story. Choose a favorite picture book for them to use or another text they’ve read during the school year. Pick a text that they can read and reread as many times as they need to.

There are three steps of close reading. They include:

Students read for general understanding and to find the main idea.

Students read to look for new ideas, unfamiliar words, and the author's purpose.

Students read for deeper analysis and to make connections within the text.

Finding the main idea often happens on the first reading of a text. Finding the theme may come from a second or third reading, allowing students to look at it more critically.

3. Graphic organizers

Graphic organizers can help students keep track of details in the story that leads them to find the main idea and themes. A flowchart or web chart can help students note key details from things like a text’s title, recurring statements, or character names.

4. Song lyrics

Lines and verses of songs are often shorter—and sometimes clearer—than a paragraph of text. Analyzing the lyrics of student-friendly songs can help reinforce the concept of themes and the main idea. Use printable lyrics sheets for nursery rhymes, Disney songs, or other school-appropriate tunes for this activity. You can do it as a whole-class, group, or individual activity.

Start by using just one song and have students read the lyrics. Encourage them to annotate the printed sheet or model and project your annotations for the students to see. On another sheet of paper, have students use their annotated notes to discover the main idea and at least one theme of the song.

Extend the lesson by analyzing two songs. Then compare how the themes and main ideas for each song are similar to and different from each other. If students are unfamiliar with a song's context, such as the plot of a Disney movie, provide background knowledge before you begin. Show appropriate music or lyric videos before the lesson to introduce the students to both the music and lyrics.

5. Sorting and matching activities

Sorting and matching activities help students understand the nuance of specificity and generality in themes and the main idea. You can create these activities with tangible manipulatives, like slips of paper. Or, you can use a digital tool like Formative to create activities students can access anywhere.

Include the definitions of the theme and main idea in the activity for students to reference. Have at least three general details or morals like “slow and steady wins the race." You should also add at least three main ideas specific to a text, such as “the tortoise was the first to cross the finish line.”

Do this activity as a whole class, or in small groups or pairs. Students can also do matching individually to sort out the details of the theme and the main idea. No matter which delivery method you choose, come together as a class at the end to discuss which details go under each group.

6. Task cards

Task cards present students with a specific learning activity to complete. They’re popular for differentiating instruction because you can tailor the complexity of the same task for students at different ability levels. Use task cards as part of your learning stations or as free-time activities to help students practice literacy skills.

Each card should include a short passage for students to read, either a text they’ve read before or a new text. The card should also contain at least three multiple-choice options. The first should include the theme, next the main idea, and last, a key detail from the passage.

Ask students to match the correct multiple-choice answer with the correct category: main idea, theme, or key detail . You can scaffold up the complexity by including just the passage. Then ask students to write the main idea, theme, and a key detail in their own words.

Still looking for more help to make sure your students understand the differences between theme and main idea? Use these tips when planning your literary skills lessons:

1. Start with shorter texts

Shorter, less complex texts can be more accessible starting points for learning new literacy skills. Whether you’re teaching the skill for the first time or reteaching it, starting with a shorter text for the first lesson can help.

For younger students, this might mean using a short story for the first lesson. For older students, this may mean returning to a well-known favorite story, like “The Three Little Pigs.” Using a shorter text can help make learning and practicing the skills less intimidating for students.

2. Check for understanding

Add checks for understanding throughout the lesson to make sure students comprehend each step before moving on to the next. This allows you to scaffold lessons while modeling your thinking process for working through a text and finding the main idea and themes. Set up your activities, like task cards, in a way that forces students to complete the steps in order. This forces them to check their understanding of the concept as they progress through the activity.

3. Reinforce the skill with every reading

Main idea and theme are two skills that are easy to practice with most content students read. No matter how you deliver the lesson, they can always practice finding the main idea and themes in their texts. Encourage them to record these findings on special sheets, in a dedicated notebook, or on bookmarks to keep track of what they find.

Finding the main idea in a text takes practice. Students need to practice with a variety of texts of different genres and complexity levels. Teaching this literacy skill with relevant content is more effective than using out-of-touch basal readers.

That’s why teaching about the main idea with Newsela ELA is easy! You get access to a variety of helpful resources and scaffolds to help you teach literacy skills, like:

A library of over 15,000 pieces of literary and informational texts .

Annotations that let you highlight key details to help determine the main idea and themes of a passage.

Texts published at five reading levels . They help you show students how to find the main idea and themes in the same text as the complexity increases.

Interactive graphic organizers for any article that you can customize with the Formative and Newsela integration .

Assignment controls allow you to select which skills to teach and assess with each article. Use the checkboxes in the activities panel to toggle your choices on and off.

Explainer videos on topics like finding the main idea bring a multimedia approach to teaching literacy skills.

An updated ELA Standards and Skills collection with even more resources for teaching the main idea in your lessons.

Custom collections that align with your academic priorities and instructional frameworks.

Coming for back-to-school ‘24:

Checks for understanding embedded within texts that allow students to slow down and make sure they understand what they’ve read.

Expanded search filters that let you search content by reading skill, grade and lexile level, topic, standard, and more.

Updated reporting features to identify classroom trends and patterns and look in on students’ skills progress with ease.

Not a Newsela customer yet? Sign up for your free Newsela Lite account and get access to the scaffolds you need to teach students how to differentiate between themes and the main idea.

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	Thesis/Central Idea

WHAT IS A CENTRAL IDEA?

The holds your writing together. In a paragraph, the central idea is expressed in a topic sentence. In an essay, it is expressed in a thesis statement. The central idea is the idea your paragraph or essay develops, supports, or proves.

MAKE THE CENTRAL IDEA THE FOCUS OF YOUR WRITING

The central idea states the point you wish to make. It is the focal point to which all details in your essay point. Think of a paragraph or essay as a photograph. Just as you focus a snapshot by aiming the camera at a fixed point, you focus your writing by relating every detail to a central idea.

You can also compare the central idea to an umbrella. Expressed as a thesis statement (essay) or in a topic sentence (paragraph), the central idea will be the broadest or most general statement in your work. All other ideas and bits of information fit logically under the central idea.

BEGIN WITH A WORKING TOPIC SENTENCE OR THESIS

A working topic sentence or thesis is your first attempt to express a central idea formally. You will probably revise it many times as you write drafts and discover exactly what to say about your subject. Writing a working topic sentence or thesis statement involves three steps:

WHAT IS MY SUBJECT?

A subject is abstract, general, and incomplete. A central idea is concrete and specific. Compare the subject with the central idea .

You can turn a subject into a central idea by focusing. Begin by reviewing what you know about your subject or by looking over notes you have made about it through listing, brainstorming, clustering, freewriting, or other prewriting activities.

With these details fresh in your mind, ask yourself:

What is my purpose in writing about this topic? What main point do I want to make about the topic?

WHAT IS MY PURPOSE?

Let's say you decide to write about high school. You might tell a story about your history class, compare two schools you attended, or argue that high schools should require foreign-language study.

If you want to compare the two high schools you attended, you can include details about their academic programs, athletic teams, students, or teachers. But you probably wouldn't argue that high schools should stay open in summer because doing so would take you outside your declared purpose.

WHAT IS MY MAIN POINT?

The next step in focusing is to decide what to say about your subject. What is the most interesting or important point you want to make about the schools you are comparing? The answer will be your main point, which ties all the details of the essay together.

Again, you turn an abstract subject into a central idea by stating a main point about that subject. If your main point is that entering a new school improved your attitude about education, your central idea might read:

Changing high schools made me a more serious student.

MAKING A POINT ABOUT A SUBJECT

In the box below, main points have been added to subjects to form working topic sentences or thesis statements.

Skydiving
Skydiving can be dangerous.

Computer skills
Computer skills are essential to success in business.

Dental floss
Dental floss is a powerful weapon in the battle against gum disease.

CHECK YOUR WORKING CENTRAL IDEA

After writing a working central idea, check it for qualities that will make it effective as the basis of a paragraph or essay. Ask yourself:

Is my central idea expressed in a complete thought? Is it specific? Does it express an idea that is worth developing in a full-length paragraph or essay? Is it limited enough to discuss in a short piece of writing?

A central idea = a .

Never confuse a central idea with a simple subject. Central ideas are expressed in complete sentences; subjects are words or phrases. Take these subjects:

The city zoo. Professional athletes. Majoring in foreign languages.

Can you write a paragraph or essay on one of these subjects? Only if you decide on the main point you want to make about it. Try these as working central ideas:

The city zoo is in great need of repairs. Professional athletes are overpaid. Studying foreign languages leads to many career choices.

A CENTRAL IDEA IS SPECIFIC

Make your central idea specific. The key to this step is to focus your main point as precisely as you can. That will give you a clear direction to follow as you develop an essay or paragraph. Take this central idea:

Jogging isn't for everybody.

It is correct, but it leaves questions unanswered. For example, what kind of people should not jog? What ill effects might jogging cause them? Now, try this:

Jogging can be harmful to people who suffer from heart, back, or joint problems.

A CENTRAL IDEA CONTAINS A MAIN POINT THAT IS WORTH DEVELOPING

Make sure your main point is an idea-not just a fact-that is worth developing in a full-length paragraph or essay. Read these two sentences:

The War Memorial is in Ottawa. The War Memorial has been severely vandalized.

The first sentence is a statement of fact; it does not call for discussion. The second lends itself to discussion. For example, you might describe what the vandals did, explain how much repairs will cost, or discuss ways to prevent future problems.

A CENTRAL IDEA IS LIMITED

Essays that beginning college or university students write usually contain approximately five to seven paragraphs of about 50 to 100 words. Therefore, you should limit your working topic sentence or thesis, making it as specific as you can. Otherwise, you won't be able to make your point clearly and completely.

LIMIT THE DISCUSSION TO A MANAGEABLE LENGTH

Let's say you want to convince someone to stop smoking. You might limit yourself to three reasons to stop smoking: the health risks, the costs, and its effects on others.

Here's your working thesis:

Break the habit: otherwise, it will ruin your health, empty your wallet, and annoy your friends.

Your working topic sentences, which will control the three body paragraphs, could be as follows:

Smoking causes cancer, emphysema, and heart disease. You can save hundreds or even thousands of dollars a year by quitting. Smoking is offensive to friends and family.

LIMITING YOUR CENTRAL IDEA FURTHER

You begin a rough draft by discussing illnesses caused by smoking. However, you soon realize that you can't cover all three reasons for quitting and still keep the essay short. So you limit yourself to the issue of health risks.

Your thesis statement becomes:

Break the habit: smoking causes heart disease, emphysema, and cancer.

Your topic sentences become:

Smoking weakens the heart and impairs circulation. Smoking is a major cause of emphysema. Smoking has been linked directly to cancer of the mouth and the esophagus.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN A TOPIC SENTENCE AND A THESIS

A topic sentence is the sentence that expresses the central idea of a paragraph. A thesis statement is a sentence that expresses the central idea of an essay.

It's a good idea to decide the topic sentence of a paragraph after writing the working version of an essay's thesis. A topic sentence explains one aspect or point in the thesis and, therefore, should always be more specific and limited than a thesis.

REVISE AND REFINE THE CENTRAL IDEA AS YOU WORK

You can revise a central idea whenever you need to. The working version of a topic sentence or thesis statement provides only a starting point and a sense of direction. Don't be afraid to look back to your central ideas and rewrite them often. As a matter of fact, focusing is something you should do throughout the writing process.

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Thesis Statements vs. Main Ideas

The thesis statement is a one-sentence statement that expresses the main idea of the essay. The thesis statement is an arguable statement that communicates the author's stance on a topic to the reader. In order to better understand the differences between a thesis statement and main idea, it's important to understand the components of an essay. Essentially, it's not a "versus" situation because the thesis statement and main idea cannot exist without the other.

Purpose of the Thesis Statement

The thesis statement is the foundation of the essay because it tells the reader what the essay will be about and gives the essay direction. The goals of the thesis statement are to organize and development your argument and provide your reader with a road map or guide to your argument. The thesis statement should answer a question about the topic you are exploring as a writer. A good thesis statement will express only one main idea and will assert your conclusion about a topic.

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How to write a unified essay, what is a circular narrative style, what narrative point of view is used in "and then there were none", teacher tips: how to write thesis statements for high school papers, explanation on theme in literature for students, identifying the main idea.

If you are given a topic to write about, it's important to first do your research and identify some main ideas associated with that topic. If you are writing about a piece of literature or specific work, you'll still need to do research but you will also need to read for key concepts or key ideas within that piece of writing first. Consider rereading the piece of literature to locate the main idea of the writer. Once you have located the main idea, you can then generate an opinion about the idea and create your thesis statement.

Developing the Main Idea

The topic of an essay is the subject, or what the essay is all about. An idea is what the writer says about the topic. The ideas include the main idea, which is then expressed in the form of a thesis statement. The main idea is not arguable like the thesis statement should be; it's simply an idea. Before writing, you should first develop the main idea because you cannot generate an arguable thesis statement about a topic until you have identified what you think of the topic.

Purpose of the Topic Sentence

The main idea of an essay is conveyed through the thesis statement and carried out through the topic sentences. An idea cannot be a statement, but a statement conveys an idea, hence the purpose of a thesis statement to state the point of an idea to convey to the reader in the development of an essay. Topic sentences also express the main idea. It's the first sentence of each subsequent paragraph in the essay and should be followed by supporting details, all supporting the topic sentence, which should support the main idea expressed in the thesis statement.

Teacher Vision: Establishing the Main Idea
Indiana University Bloomington: How to Write a Thesis Statement

Alyssa Sellors has been in the field of education for five years, teaching English and journalism at the high school level. In addition to teaching, she has also advised the school newspaper and currently advises the yearbook. As a yearbook adviser, she speaks at national conventions hosted by Journalism Educator’s Association and the National Scholastic Press Association.

Wikidiff.com Find the difference between words.

Thesis vs Theme - What's the difference?

In lang=en terms the difference between thesis and theme, as nouns the difference between thesis and theme, as a verb theme is, derived terms, related terms, external links.

What's the difference between theme and thesis ?

Definition:

(n.) A subject or topic on which a person writes or speaks; a proposition for discussion or argument; a text.
(n.) Discourse on a certain subject.
(n.) A composition or essay required of a pupil.
(n.) A noun or verb, not modified by inflections; also, that part of a noun or verb which remains unchanged (except by euphonic variations) in declension or conjugation; stem.
(n.) That by means of which a thing is done; means; instrument.
(n.) The leading subject of a composition or a movement.

Example Sentences:

(1) A world conference in Edinburgh during August 1988 will have the theme.
(2) That, roughly, was the theme of the Wednesday Play, Cathy Come Home, (BBC1) directed by Kenneth Loach, produced by Tony Garnett.
(3) as well as nauseatingly hipster titbits – "They came up with the perfect theme (and coined a new term!
(4) Sometimes it can seem as if the history of the City is the history of its crises and disasters, from the banking crisis of 1825 (which saw undercapitalised banks collapse – perhaps the closest historic parallel to the contemporary credit crunch), through the Spanish panic of 1835, the railway bust of 1837, the crash of Overend Gurney, the Kaffir boom, the Westralian boom, the Marconi scandal, and so on and on – a theme with endless variations.
(5) By no means is this a new theme, but it has taken on an added sharpness and urgency after the conferences.
(6) An obsessional artist who was an enemy of all institutions, cinematic as well as social, and whose principal theme was intolerance, he invariably gets delivered to us today by institutions - most recently the National Film Theatre, which starts a Dreyer retrospective this month - that can't always be counted on to represent him in all his complexity.
(7) Read more Clinton spoke before more than a thousand supporters on Saturday at a launch event for “Women for Hillary” in New Hampshire, touching upon many of the familiar themes of her presidential campaign – equal pay for women, paid family leave, raising the minimum wage.
(8) The Christmas theme doesn't end there; "America's Christmas Hometown" also has Santa's Candy Castle, a red-brick building with turrets that was built by the Curtiss Candy Company in the 1930s and sells gourmet candy canes in abundance.
(9) Similar paradoxes bedevilled all the other chief themes.
(10) Synthesis and discussion is focused on five major areas in which gerontological continuity and change are evidenced: 1) transformation of basic themes over time; 2) gerontology's identity crisis; 3) the social ideology of gerontology; 4) evolution and refinement of gerontological ideas and methods; and 5) temporal frameworks.
(11) A key theme is expected to be that early intervention at every stage of life can prevent society having to continue "paying for the costs of failure".
(12) One constant theme is the wish for the Dalai Lama to return."
(13) The national anthems Nothing to say about the Indian anthem, but the New Zealand one sounds like the theme tune for an 1960s ATV variety spectacular.
(14) Ever since the ex-PD leader Walter Veltroni started praising President Kennedy as a way to jettison communism, this has been an abiding theme, manifesting itself institutionally in the desperate attempt to engineer a US-style two-party system through breathtakingly inept electoral reforms – the latest one, the " Porcellum " (after porcello, swine), was behind the impasse earlier this year.
(15) Ladybird: I’m Ready to Spell has a space theme, and is based on the phonics that kids will be learning in their first years at school.
(16) Bleak jokes and cartoons have been circulating for weeks in the anti-Assad camp on the theme of barrel bombs serving as ballot boxes.
(17) Redesigning the dream was identified as the integrative theme in the substantive theory that described how family members gradually modify their beliefs about organ transplantation and develop attitudes and beliefs to meet the challenge of living with continual unpredictability.
(18) Oil operators, large and small, are very keen to address the key themes of the waste hierarchy.
(19) And they kept coming … the hilarious Octodad: Dadliest Catch , the chilling psychological horror game Daylight , which again, uses procedural generation to create new environments (procedural content is another next-gen theme); and Galak-Z from 17bit Studios, described as an AI and physics-driven open-world action game.
(20) Cross-sectional as well as longitudinal comparisons indicated that the subjective sexual arousal elicited during fantasy depicting specific themes was stable across the menstrual cycle.
(n.) A position or proposition which a person advances and offers to maintain, or which is actually maintained by argument.
(n.) Hence, an essay or dissertation written upon specific or definite theme; especially, an essay presented by a candidate for a diploma or degree.
(n.) An affirmation, or distinction from a supposition or hypothesis.
(n.) The accented part of the measure, expressed by the downward beat; -- the opposite of arsis.
(n.) The depression of the voice in pronouncing the syllables of a word.
(n.) The part of the foot upon which such a depression falls.
(1) Why would you want to boost him?” The president is accused of trying to distract from domestic problems – corruption scandals and an exposé showing he plagiarised parts of his law-school thesis – by attending to Trump.
(2) Data interpretation confirms the well-known thesis that reproductive health protection is not only of a medical and biological but of very wide interdisciplinary interest when the woman is on the brink of the important for her personally and finally for the society as well decision pro and con real pregnancy.
(3) The data favor the thesis that neutralization of BVD virus occurs by a multi-hit mechanism and requires combination of at least two molecules of antibody with each virus.
(4) Clinical material is used to illustrate this thesis.
(5) I went to work at Carville at the invitation of Dr. Kirchheimer, who had seen my Ph.D. thesis.
(6) The striking weakness of Clegg's thesis was what it left out in its attempt to carve out a position for restless party activists as their poll ratings dip (down to 14% according to ICM) as Miliband tones down his own anti-Lib Dem rhetoric to woo them.
(7) The thesis considered was that angiotensin II may have a greater role in the fetus than in the adult since the autonomic nervous system does not develop fully until late in gestation.
(8) My immediate suspicion is that the pupil is taking the same course as the master, though I accept it is a large thesis to hang on beige furnishings.
(9) Doctors who were general practitioners in the period 1973-88 and had written a successful MD or PhD thesis were identified.
(10) A leaked cabinet committee memo in 2010 showed coalition ministers were advised on coming into government that it was wrong "to regard radicalisation in this country as a linear 'conveyor belt' moving from grievance, through radicalisation, to violence … This thesis seems to both misread the radicalisation process and to give undue weight to ideological factors".
(11) The present thesis focuses on the etiology, diagnosis, progression and prevention of dentoalveolar ankylosis.
(12) As previously observed the fraction that escapes depends on the solvent viscosity [Marden, M. C. (1983) Ph.D. Thesis, University of Illinois-Urbana].
(13) Hakim is keen to stress that her thesis is "evidence based" and nothing to do with prejudice or ideology, and finishes her introduction with this rallying cry: "why not champion femininity rather than abolish it?
(14) The results obtained will allow to test experimentally the theoretical predictions made by A. Goldbeter (1973) PhD thesis, Université Libre de Bruxelles, on the distribution of carbamoyl phosphate and the oscillation of its intracellular concentration.
(15) These data support the thesis that cell transport of calcium is accomplished by the attachment of calcium atoms to the cell surface and transport through the plasma membrane bound to either specific carriers or to membrane constituents.
(16) To illustrate his thesis he presents the case history of a man who was fatally affected by the family myth and mystification process.
(17) The present studies were designed to estimate fetal weight on the basis of the thesis that the factors which determine body weight include the fetal bone and the amount of fetal soft tissue, i.e., fetal corpulence.
(18) We describe an approach that is based on the thesis that dermatologists can and often should treat such patients.
(19) For that reason the electron microscope method with an optically higher resolution was chosen for this thesis.
(20) Both polyribosomes and 70S ribosomes that were isolated on sucrose density gra dients and tested separately in cell-free systems were capable of protein syn thesis; however, polyribosomes formed more protein per unit of RNA than monosomes did.

Words possibly related to " theme "

Words possibly related to " thesis ".

introduction

proposition

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Thesis Statement Examples

Practical Thesis Statement Examples That Will Transform Your Writing

10 min read

Published on: Sep 3, 2024

Last updated on: Sep 3, 2024

What Is A Thesis Statement?

A thesis statement is a key part of your essay that tells readers what your essay is about. It’s a clear sentence that sums up the main point or argument you’re going to make. Think of it as a guide that helps your readers understand your main idea and what to expect from your essay.

Your thesis statement usually goes at the end of your introduction. It gives your essay direction and helps keep everything focused on your main point.

Examples Of Thesis Statements By Essay Type

To help you see how to write effective thesis statements, here are thesis statement examples for essays of various types. Each example will give you a clearer picture of how to approach various topics.

Examples Of Thesis Statements For Personal Essays

A personal essay thesis statement reflects your unique experiences and feelings. It shares a central idea about a personal story or insight you’re discussing.

Here are a few examples to give you an idea of how to craft your own:

Overcoming my fear of public speaking taught me that courage is not the absence of fear, but the ability to act despite it.
Traveling to a new country showed me that stepping out of my comfort zone is the best way to grow and learn.
My experience of balancing school and a part-time job proved that hard work and dedication can lead to personal success and self-discovery.

Thesis Statement Examples For Informative Essay

A thesis statement for an informative essay provides a clear and specific overview of the topic you’re explaining. It helps readers understand the focus of your essay and what information they can expect to learn.

Let’s take a look at some informative thesis statement examples :

The process of photosynthesis is essential for plant growth as it converts sunlight into energy and produces oxygen, which is crucial for life on Earth.
The history of the internet reveals how technological advancements have transformed communication, from early networks to the modern web.
Understanding the basics of genetic inheritance can explain how traits are passed from parents to offspring and how genetic disorders can occur.

Thesis Statement Examples For Compare And Contrast Essays

A thesis statement for a compare and contrast essay highlights the similarities and differences between two or more subjects. It helps readers understand the main points of comparison and what you will be discussing.

Some examples are:

While both public and private schools aim to provide quality education, they differ significantly in terms of funding, curriculum flexibility, and student-to-teacher ratios.
Although electric cars and gasoline-powered cars serve the same purpose of transportation, they differ in their environmental impact, cost, and efficiency.
The lifestyles of city dwellers and rural residents differ greatly, with urban areas offering more job opportunities and amenities, while rural areas provide a slower pace of life and closer connection to nature.

Argumentative Essay Thesis Statement Examples

A thesis statement for an argumentative essay clearly states your opinion on a hot topic and explains why you hold that view. It shows what you believe and what you’ll be arguing for.

Below are some argumentative thesis statement examples :

A universal basic income can help reduce poverty and provide financial stability, making it a crucial step toward reducing economic inequality.
Renewable energy is vital for fighting climate change because it cuts down on greenhouse gas emissions and supports a healthier planet.
Requiring school uniforms in public schools can decrease peer pressure and help students focus more on their studies.

Thesis Statement Examples For Persuasive Essay

A thesis statement for a persuasive essay aims to convince the reader of a particular viewpoint. It presents your position and hints at the arguments you’ll use to support it.

Some examples include:

Adopting a plant-based diet is beneficial for health and the environment, as it reduces the risk of chronic diseases and decreases ecological footprints.
Investing in public transportation improves urban mobility and reduces traffic congestion, leading to a more efficient and eco-friendly city.
Banning single-use plastics is essential to protect marine life and reduce pollution, helping to preserve the environment for future generations.

Analytical Essay Thesis Statement Examples

A thesis statement for an analytical essay breaks down a topic and examines its components. It highlights what you will analyze and what insights or conclusions you aim to provide.

Here are some good thesis statement examples for analytical essays:

Analyzing Shakespeare’s use of imagery in "Macbeth" reveals how it enhances the play’s themes of ambition and guilt.
Examining the impact of social media on communication shows how it has changed the way we interact and perceive relationships.
The portrayal of leadership in “The Great Gatsby” illustrates how wealth and power can corrupt moral values and influence behavior.

Expository Essay Thesis Statement Examples

A thesis statement for an expository essay explains a topic or idea in detail. It provides a clear summary of what the essay will cover and how it will inform the reader.

See the examples mentioned below:

The process of recycling involves several key steps, including sorting materials, processing them into raw materials, and creating new products.
The history of the internet highlights key milestones such as the development of early networks, the rise of the World Wide Web, and the evolution of online communication.
Understanding the causes of climate change requires examining factors like greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, and industrial activities.

Process Essay Thesis Statement Examples

A thesis statement for a process essay explains how something is done or how a process works. It gives a clear overview of the steps involved. Take a glance at these examples :

Making homemade pizza involves preparing the dough, adding toppings, and baking it to create a delicious and customizable meal.
The steps to start a small business include researching the market, creating a business plan, and securing funding to ensure a successful launch.
Learning a new language requires practicing speaking and listening skills, studying grammar, and immersing oneself in the language through reading and conversation.

Thesis Statement Examples According to Different Academic Levels

Writing a thesis statement changes as you move through different study levels. Each stage has its own approach and complexity. Here’s how thesis statements might look across different levels:

Thesis Statement Examples for Kids

At a basic level, thesis statements for kids are simple and direct. They usually focus on familiar topics and straightforward ideas. Consider these examples :

Dogs make great pets because they are loyal, fun, and good with kids.
Reading books is important because it helps you learn new things and improves your imagination.

Middle School Thesis Statement Examples

In middle school, thesis statements start to involve more detail and support. They reflect a better understanding of how to structure arguments. Here are some examples :

School uniforms should be required because they promote equality, reduce distractions, and make it easier for students to focus on their studies.
Eating a balanced diet is crucial for maintaining good health because it provides essential nutrients, boosts energy levels, and helps prevent diseases.

High School Thesis Statement Examples

High school thesis statements are more sophisticated, often including a clear argument and multiple supporting points. Take a look these examples :

The benefits of online learning outweigh the drawbacks because it offers flexibility, access to a wide range of resources, and the ability to balance education with other responsibilities.
Participating in extracurricular activities is important for high school students as it helps develop leadership skills, build friendships, and enhance college applications.

College Thesis Statement Examples

At the college level, thesis statements are complex and detailed and often address more complex arguments. Examples include:

Implementing renewable energy solutions, such as solar and wind power, is essential for reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and mitigating the effects of climate change.
The rise of social media has transformed political campaigning by increasing voter engagement, spreading misinformation, and altering traditional campaign strategies.

Thesis Statement Examples for Research Papers

For research papers, thesis statements must be well-researched and specific and provide a clear direction for the study. Consider these examples :

Exploring the effects of childhood trauma on adult mental health reveals significant correlations between early experiences and the development of psychological disorders later in life.
Investigating the impact of artificial intelligence on the job market shows that while AI creates new opportunities, it also poses challenges related to job displacement and workforce adaptation.

More Examples Of Thesis Statements

As you work on different essays and writing tasks, you’ll see that thesis statements can vary a lot. Here are some additional examples to illustrate their diversity.

Literary Analysis Thesis Statement Examples

In "To Kill a Mockingbird," Harper Lee uses symbolism, such as the mockingbird, to highlight the themes of innocence and moral growth.
The use of unreliable narrators in Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” enhances the story’s exploration of guilt and madness.

Implied Thesis Statement Examples

Despite its surface simplicity, “The Little Prince” offers a profound critique of adult behavior through its exploration of human nature and relationships.
The persistent use of color imagery in “The Great Gatsby” subtly emphasizes the theme of the American Dream and its inherent flaws.

Thesis Statement Examples For Research Papers

Examining the effects of sleep deprivation on academic performance shows a direct link between lack of sleep and reduced cognitive abilities in students.
Research into the impact of climate change on coastal ecosystems reveals that rising sea levels and increased temperatures are threatening biodiversity and habitat stability.

Complex Thesis Statement Examples

While the integration of technology in education offers numerous benefits, such as personalized learning and greater accessibility, it also presents challenges related to screen time and data privacy.
The debate over genetic engineering in agriculture involves both potential benefits, like increased crop yields and disease resistance, and ethical concerns, such as environmental impact and genetic diversity.

In closing,

A strong thesis statement is the backbone of any good essay. It helps guide your writing and keeps your readers focused on your main point. With the examples provided, you can see how to shape your thesis for different types of essays and academic levels.

If you want a little extra help with your thesis statements, check out the thesis statement generator from MyEssayWriter.ai . It’s a handy tool that can help you create and perfect your thesis statements quickly.

For extra help with essay writing, check out our essay writer . It's an AI tool that can write high-quality essays for you in a breeze!

Frequently Asked Questions

How do i write my thesis statement.

To write and start a thesis statement, you should:

Pick Your Topic: Decide what your essay will be about.
Formulate Your Argument: Choose your main point or stance on the topic.
Be Specific: Make sure your statement clearly outlines what you'll discuss.
Make It Debatable: Your thesis should present an argument that can be supported with evidence.
Keep It Concise: Aim for one or two sentences that clearly express your main idea.

What 3 things should a thesis statement have?

Typically, a thesis statement format includes three main parts: the topic you're discussing, your main argument or viewpoint , and the reasons or evidence you'll use to back up that argument.

What is an example of a weak and strong thesis statement?

Weak Thesis Statement: "Social media is bad."

It's too broad and lacks detail.

Strong Thesis Statement: "Social media platforms negatively impact mental health by increasing anxiety and depression among teenagers, and this can be addressed through improved online safety measures."

It's specific, takes a clear stance, and hints at the main points of the essay.

What is a thesis statement sentence?

A thesis statement sentence is a single sentence in your essay that summarizes your main point or argument. It’s usually found at the end of your introduction and guides the rest of your essay.

Caleb S. (Mass Literature and Linguistics, Masters)

Caleb S. is an accomplished author with over five years of experience and a Master's degree from Oxford University. He excels in various writing forms, including articles, press releases, blog posts, and whitepapers. As a valued author at MyEssayWriter.ai, Caleb assists students and professionals by providing practical tips on research, citation, sentence structure, and style enhancement.

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What's the difference between theme, moral, central dramatic argument, thesis, and thematic question, etc.

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COMMENTS

Theme vs Thesis: The Main Differences & When To Use Them
In simple terms, theme refers to the central idea or message that runs throughout a literary work, whereas thesis represents the main argument or claim made in an academic or research paper. Theme, in literature, is the underlying concept or recurring idea that gives a work its depth and meaning. It is often expressed through motifs, symbols ...
Theme vs. Thesis: Key Differences and How to Write each
A thesis is a statement that you will try to prove by backing it with necessary facts. It is a position that the author takes to maintain a particular argument. Differences between a Theme and a Thesis. A theme is the general topic of your essay, whereas a thesis is the precise statements that the author tries to prove.
Topic, Thesis, Theme, Claim, Main Idea: What's the Difference?
Some of the terms we use to talk about writing are very similar, and it's easy to get them mixed up. This video defines these terms and discusses their use. ...
What are Thesis and Theme?
Thesis and theme are the foundations of all writing, professional or informal. They both convey the subject of the text. Despite this similarity, there's a stark difference between the functions of the thesis and the theme. The theme of a piece of writing is less intricate than its thesis. A theme is the main idea of a paper.
What Is a Thesis?
Revised on April 16, 2024. A thesis is a type of research paper based on your original research. It is usually submitted as the final step of a master's program or a capstone to a bachelor's degree. Writing a thesis can be a daunting experience. Other than a dissertation, it is one of the longest pieces of writing students typically complete.
PDF Thesis Statements and Topic Sentences
A thesis driven essay is comprised of an initial thesis statement that establishes a claim or argument, and ensuing topic sentences that support and develop that claim. Ideally, a reader would be able to read only the thesis statement and topic sentences of your text, and still be able to understand the main ideas and
Academic Writing Flip 2: Differences between Topic, Theme, and Thesis
This video explains how to understand the differences between a topic, a theme, and a thesis statement, and the need to have a solid thesis statement as the ...
Thesis Statements
A thesis statement: tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject matter under discussion. is a road map for the paper; in other words, it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper. directly answers the question asked of you. A thesis is an interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject itself.
Theme
As a literary device, the purpose of theme is the main idea or underlying meaning that is explored by a writer in a work of literature. Writers can utilize a combination of elements in order to convey a story's theme, including setting, plot, characters, dialogue, and more.For certain works of literature, such as fables, the theme is typically a "moral" or lesson for the reader.
Thesis
Thesis. Your thesis is the central claim in your essay—your main insight or idea about your source or topic. Your thesis should appear early in an academic essay, followed by a logically constructed argument that supports this central claim. A strong thesis is arguable, which means a thoughtful reader could disagree with it and therefore ...
PDF Topic and Thesis Differences
thesis is what one decides to say about the "topic.". The thesis is a specific argument that will be involved in every paragraph of the paper whether one is introducing it, defending it, or reinforcing it. It is the sole reason for the paper's existence and should be one written as a well-constructed sentence that acts as a map for how ...
What is a thesis
What is the difference between a thesis and a thesis statement? While both terms are frequently used interchangeably, they have distinct meanings. A thesis refers to the entire research document, encompassing all its chapters and sections. In contrast, a thesis statement is a brief assertion that encapsulates the central argument of the research.
What is a Thesis Paper and How to Write One
Thesis papers present your own original research or analysis on a specific topic related to your field. "In some ways, a thesis paper can look a lot like a novella," said Shana Chartier, director of information literacy at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU). "It's too short to be a full-length novel, but with the standard size of ...
Theme
The Wikipedia Page on Theme: An in-depth explanation of theme that also breaks down the difference between thematic concepts and thematic statements. The Dictionary Definition of Theme: A basic definition and etymology of the term. Theme on Youtube: In this instructional video, a teacher explains her process for helping students identify themes.
Writing
The main idea, thesis statement, and topic sentences all provide structure to an essay. It is important for both readers and writers to understand the roles of each of these in order to maintain ...
Theme vs Main Idea: What's the Difference?
Specificity vs generality. The main idea always shares specifics from a story while the theme shares generalities. The main idea of a text only applies to that specific text. It lists the characters' or subjects' names and plot points that are unique to the story or article.
Thesis/Central Idea
In an essay, it is expressed in a thesis statement. The central idea is the idea your paragraph or essay develops, supports, or proves. MAKE THE CENTRAL IDEA THE FOCUS OF YOUR WRITING. The central idea states the point you wish to make. It is the focal point to which all details in your essay point. Think of a paragraph or essay as a photograph.
Thesis Statements vs. Main Ideas
The thesis statement is a one-sentence statement that expresses the main idea of the essay. The thesis statement is an arguable statement that communicates the author's stance on a topic to the reader. In order to better understand the differences between a thesis statement and main idea, it's important to understand the components of an essay.
What is the difference between a title and a thesis statement?
The difference between a title and a thesis statement is that the title gives a hint of the essay's content and grabs attention, while the thesis statement makes a claim or takes a stand ...
Thesis vs Theme
In lang=en terms the difference between thesis and theme is that thesis is the accented part of the measure, expressed by the downward beat; the opposite of arsis while theme is the main melody of a piece of music, especially one that is the source of variations. As nouns the difference between thesis and theme is that thesis is a statement supported by arguments while theme is a subject of a ...
Theme vs. Thesis
A composition or essay required of a pupil. (n.) A noun or verb, not modified by inflections; also, that part of a noun or verb which remains unchanged (except by euphonic variations) in declension or conjugation; stem. (n.) That by means of which a thing is done; means; instrument. (n.) The leading subject of a composition or a movement ...
Dissertation vs. Thesis—What's the Difference?
Dissertations and theses (the plural of thesis) are often confused because they're both lengthy research papers written for higher education. In American English, a dissertation is written to earn a doctorate whereas a thesis is written to earn a master's (or sometimes a bachelor's). In many informal situations, however, the terms ...
Difference Between Thesis and Dissertation Writing: A Guide
If talking about the difference between a thesis and dissertation in terms of one's career, the latter offers more opportunities: The image component. Having a dissertation gives you authority in the scientific community. The material aspect. For obvious reasons, employees with defended dissertations can count on getting a higher salary.
40+ Thesis Statement Examples for All Essay Types
To write and start a thesis statement, you should: Pick Your Topic: Decide what your essay will be about. Formulate Your Argument: Choose your main point or stance on the topic. Be Specific: Make sure your statement clearly outlines what you'll discuss. Make It Debatable: Your thesis should present an argument that can be supported with evidence. Keep It Concise: Aim for one or two sentences ...
What's the difference between theme, moral, central dramatic ...
What's the difference between theme, moral, central dramatic argument, thesis, and thematic question, etc. ... Theme: A large, overarching statement like "Love conquers all." Moral: Similar to theme, but with a statement about the morality: "Love conquers all, but if you have to destroy others in order to have that love, it is invalidated ...
Craft the Perfect Title for Your Thesis Paper, With 10 Examples
A thesis title is the title of a thesis paper. Typically about as long as a sentence, a thesis title summarizes the paper and generates reader interest, making them want to continue reading. Students typically write thesis papers in the final semester of their master's program (and in some cases, their bachelor's program).

Theme vs Thesis: The Main Differences & When To Use Them

The Definitions

Define Theme

Define Thesis

How To Properly Use The Words In A Sentence

How To Use “Theme” In A Sentence

How To Use “Thesis” In A Sentence

More Examples Of Theme & Thesis Used In Sentences

Examples Of Using Theme In A Sentence

Examples Of Using Thesis In A Sentence

Common Mistakes To Avoid

1. Using Theme And Thesis As Synonyms:

2. Neglecting The Specificity Of The Thesis Statement:

3. Overemphasizing The Theme At The Expense Of The Thesis:

4. Failing To Revise And Refine The Thesis Statement:

Context Matters

Examples Of Different Contexts

Exceptions To The Rules

1. Creative Writing

2. Personal Essays

3. Philosophical Discourse

4. Artistic Interpretations

Theme vs. Thesis: Key Differences and How to Write each

Theme vs. Thesis

Differences between a Theme and a Thesis

How to Write a Theme Based Essay

Steps When Writing a Theme Based Essay

2. Maintain the Chosen Theme

3. Avoid Mixing the Theme with the Key Subject

How to Write a Thesis

Start with a Question

Write an Initial Answer

Develop the Answer

Include Opposing Viewpoint

What are Thesis and Theme?

Going Back to the Basics:

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Tegan George

Thesis Statements

Introduction

What is a thesis statement?

How do I create a thesis?

How do I know if my thesis is strong?

Works consulted

Definition of Theme

Common Examples of Literary Themes

Famous Examples of Disney Movies and Their Themes

Examples of Theme in Literature

Example 1: The Yellow Wall-Paper (Charlotte Perkins Gilman)

Example 2: Harlem (Langston Hughes)

Example 3: A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (James Joyce)

Related posts:

Broad thesis (arguable, but difficult to support with evidence)

Arguable thesis with analytical claim

Arguable thesis with normative claim

Questions to ask about your thesis

What is a thesis | A Complete Guide with Examples

Table of Contents

What is a thesis?

What is a thesis statement?

Different types of thesis statements

Argumentative (or Persuasive) thesis statement

Analytical thesis statement

Expository (or Descriptive) thesis statement

Cause and effect thesis statement

Compare and contrast thesis statement