either supports or rejects society s norms Rather than attempt to discover the author s purpose in creating a work an analysis reveals what you see in the work Raising your awareness of themes through analysis allows you to dive deeper into the work itself You may begin to see similarities between all creative works that you encounter You may also improve your own writing by expanding your understanding of how stories use themes to engage readers Forming a Thesis Form your questions about how a theme is presented in a work or multiple works and find answers within the work itself Then you can create a thesis The thesis is the key point in your analysis It is your argument about the work For example if you want to argue that the theme of a book is love your How to Make a Thesis Statement thesis could be worded as follows Allison Becket's novel on the Heartless Road In an analysis a thesis statement typically appears at the end of the introductory paragraph It is usually only one sentence long and states the author's main idea asserts that receiving love is critical to the human
Providing evidence Once you have formed a thesis you must provide evidence to support it Evidence will usually take the form of examples and quotations from the work itself often including dialogue from a character You may wish to address what others have written about the work Quotes from these individuals may help support your claim If you find any quotes or examples that contradict your thesis you will need to create an argument against them For instance Many critics claim the theme of love is secondary to that of revenge as the main character Carly sabotages the lives of her loved ones throughout the novel However the novel that s resolution proves Carly's experience with love is the key to her humanity How to Support a Thesis Statement An analysis should include several arguments that support the thesis's claim An argument is one or two sentences long and is supported by evidence from the work being discussed Organize the arguments into paragraphs These paragraphs make up the body of the analysis Concluding the Essay After you have written several arguments and included evidence to support them finish the essay with
a conclusion The conclusion restates the ideas from the thesis and summarizes some of the main points from Haw to Conclude the essay The conclusion's final thought often considers additional implications for the essay or gives the reader something to ponder further an In This Book Begin your conclusion with a recap of the thesis and a brief summary of the most important or strongest arguments Leave readers with a final thought that puts the essay in a larger context or considers its wider implications In this book you will read summaries of works each followed by an analysis Critical thinking sections will give you a chance to consider other theses and questions about the work Did you agree with the author s analysis What other questions are raised by the thesis and its arguments You can also see other directions the author could have pursued to analyze the work Then in the Analyze It section in the final pages of this book you will have an opportunity to create your own analysis paper 10
The Hero The book you are reading focuses on the theme of heroes Heroic characters in literature art and film are those who accomplish extraordinary deeds They change the way we think about our lives and see the world Some such as Odysseus or Huckleberry Finn are fictional characters who overcome obstacles in the face of adversity Others such as Gandhi or Martin Luther King Jr are real life saints in history But what exactly is a hero Are there common personality traits or flaws ſust heroes by definition Look for the Guides embrace society's values and rules or can they challenge established norms Authors use heroic characters to provide examples of model Throughout the chapters that analyze the works thesis statements have been highlighted The box next to the thesis helps explain what questions are being raised about the work Supporting arguments have also been highlighted The boxes next to the arguments help explain how these points support the thesis The conclusions are also accompanied by explanatory boxes Look for these guides throughout each analysis behavior In understanding the heroes motivations and struggles we can better understand how to live more courageous lives and inspire others to do the
