Writing Tips for Hum 1

The thesis statement

 Other writing tips:

Despite what high school English teachers may say, there is no single formula for a successful paper, nor will we be looking for one in this class. The most important characteristics of a good paper include a structure in which ideas are logically connected and easy to follow, clear and precise communication, and distinct points that all contribute to the overall purpose of the paper.

Sometimes the hardest step is deciding what, exactly, your paper will be about. Some writers describe this concise description as a thesis. However, this term is not used to imply that all papers must be persuasive in intent (at least in the strictest sense of the term). You should be able to state in a sentence what exactly the paper is about. Some writing teachers encourage students to come up with a title first, because if you can't state what the paper is about in a concise title, you should perhaps rethink the thesis.

  • A thesis STATES A POINT TO BE MADE, not just a topic or a question:

    • Less effective:

      • Romantic views of nature.

    • More effective:

      • The Romantic views of Lanier and Bierstadt personified nature as an active and awesome entity.

    • Less effective:

      • This paper is a comparison of selected poems of Stephen Crane and Walt Whitman.

    • More effective:

      • While the poetry of Whitman and Crane show a breakdown in traditional structures, it is Crane who looks forward to the alienation of modernism.

    • Less effective:

      • How does Ives's "Emerson" movement reflect Emerson's views on art?

    • More effective:

      • Despite its seeming abstract nature, the Emerson movement of Ives's "Concord" Piano Sonata realizes Emerson's ideal of art which detaches and focuses the mind on the transcendental.

  • A thesis should be SIGNIFICANT. It should not state the obvious. For the purposes of this class, it should be disputable. That is, no one wants to read a paper consisting entirely of facts or statements no one would ever contest. Creative and well-supported interpretations are much more interesting to read:

    • Less effective:

      • In "Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking," Whitman reminisces about an incident in his childhood.

    • More effective:

      • In "Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking," Whitman uses a frame narrative in order to reconcile the innocence of a childhood revelation with his own mortality.

    Remember: you don't want the reader to finish the paper and say, "So what?"

  • A thesis should go significantly beyond class discussion, proposing an original interpretation.

    • A paper should never summarize or restate other people's ideas, whether from class discussions or other sources. Of course, these sources may help provide inspiration for your own ideas or evidence for your points, but the thesis should be an idea original with you.

  • A thesis should be a single, distinct idea:

    • Less effective:

      • The dream-like aspects of Rousseau's paintings influenced de Chirico, and their juxtaposition of perspectives influenced Picasso.

    • More effective:

      • The dream-like aspects of Rousseau's paintings deeply influenced de Chirico, and set the stage for surrealism.

    • Or:

      • The juxtaposition of perspectives in Rousseau's paintings influenced Picasso and set the stage for cubism.

  • Most importantly, make sure the thesis is PRECISE AND FOCUSED:

    • Not effective (unless you're going to write a book):

      • The music of Erik Satie was revolutionary.

    • More effective:

      • The early music of Erik Satie already showed remarkable reactions against romanticism.

    • Even more effective:

      • The early music of Erik Satie already showed remarkable reactions against Wagnerism in its harmonies, scope, and influences from early and popular music.
Your choice of thesis will determine evidence you need to present as well as the appropriateness of points that follow. For example, consider this thesis: "Satie's simplicity and startling juxtapositions were fundamental influences on the music of Darius Milhaud." Because the writer has stated that influences exist, it becomes incumbent upon her not only to give examples of musical similarities, but to show historical evidence that Milhaud actually knew Satie's music and was influenced by it.

However, if the thesis states, "Satie's simplicity and startling juxtapositions effectively prefigured the early neoclassical works of Stravinsky," then it's no longer necessary to establish a causal relationship, merely one of time. Of course, a more vague wording of a thesis does not make up for failures of research, but any claim you make that is not an obvious fact, including opinion, criticism, and interpretation, needs to be backed up by a) factual evidence, b) an example, or c) a citation.

Sometimes it will take several tries and a lot of research before you formulate a thesis that precisely states what you intend to communicate and have evidence for. It is, at times, helpful to "write your way to an idea," but that's only a first step, not what you turn in! If your thesis does not fulfill the suggestions above, it may reveal shortcomings in your concepts for your paper. You should be grateful to have found such shortcomings, because that realization can set you down a much more fruitful path.