Tomorrow...

 - Quiz on chapters 17-39
- Discussion of Post-reading questions (please have have a hard copy of your post-reading assignment and pre-reading assignment # 1 - we can discuss question # 6).

It would be a good idea to start assembling hard copies of your pre-reading and post-reading assignments. I will collect hard copies (with the study guide cover sheet) on Monday, January 22.
Please staple your documents in chronological order behind the study guide cover sheet the front.

I have posted the following - Thesis Primer - on the Canvas in the Awakening file folder.

Writing consciously…Why does your thesis matter?

Wesley

English 3AP

• A powerful thesis lays the foundation for your paper, in addition to organizing and focusing your argument.
• With a strong thesis, your paper has a good start, upon which the entire essay can rely.
• A powerful thesis statement makes the difference between a thoughtful paper and a simple retelling of facts.

Some other reminders about thesis statements…

• Make sure that your thesis is an arguable point.
• Stay focused and be concise.
• Entire paper must relate back to thesis.
• Use varied and interesting word choice
• Thesis must be specific enough to give the reader a clear picture of what the essay is about.
• Sentence must flow and be understandable.
• Does my thesis pass the "So what?" test? If a reader's first response is "So what?", you need to clarify, find something meaningful to say, or 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.

Remember some thesis structures available to you:

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.

Through[wsw1]  one girl’s hatred and another’s desire, Johnson explores the human need for love and the affect the absence of love can have on a person[wsw2] .

Although Fitzgerald’s “Babylon Revisited” is set in Paris during the Great

Depression and Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” takes place in the South during the 1920’s, both stories weave back and forth in time through retrospection and flashback.

Although Jane does not condemn Blanch Ingram, Rochester, and the rest of the party individually, she disapproves of the principles of the upper class as a whole[WSW3] .

While both Northerners and Southerners believed they fought against tyranny and oppression, Northerners focused on the oppression of slaves while Southerners defended their own right to self-government.

In The Tide Turned, O’Brien’s tale of love between a father and his son illustrates the theme of optimism[wsw4] ; even[wsw5]  in utter desolation, there is still hope enough for one’s posterity to lead a decent life[wsw6] .

What is a funnel paragraph?

·     Starts with a broad topic and as it goes on it narrows down

·     Usually has a thesis at the end

What are some of the attributes of a good thesis?

·     It is easy to understand/clear

·     Tells what is going be said/written about in your piece

·     It is the main idea of the essay

·     Typically it is at the end of the first paragraph

·     Precise and concise/ focused

·     Make it an arguable point

Funnel paragraph example

Being a kid is hard; don't let anyone tell you differently. If you ask 100 adults, you'll find that most of them wouldn't want to live through adolescence over again. Why not? There are too many things to worry about: friends, grades, why your P.E. teacher hates you, what to do when you grow up--the list is endless. That's why it would be doing most kids a favor to give them one less major concern in life. Because it would give them fewer worries, and because it would save their parents money, students in public school should have to wear uniforms.

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.
• 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, "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 o.k. 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.

Excerpted from http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/thesis.html

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 [wsw1] Kati begins her thesis with a subordinate (helping/supporting ) clause).  This helps set up the main clause by explaining a means by which the author develops the theme.

 [wsw2]Complex sentences can get lengthy and awkward; note how Kati avoids this , creating a sentence that says just enough.  One simple means of avoiding thesis sentence sprawl is to leave the title of the book out of the thesis.  Since Kati mentioned the title of the book  earlier in the paragraph, there is no need to mention it again.

 [WSW3]Complex sentence – subordinate clause, main clause

 [wsw4]First clause introduces a broad theme; it sets up the main clause that follows.

 [wsw5]The second clause, Brian’s main point, is more specific.  Brian uses the adverb even to emphasize just how bad the conditions are and yet…then he delivers his main point, a more specific explanation of the optimism he saw in the novel.

 [wsw6]Imagine you are giving a speech.  How would yolu open it so that you connect with your audience and then flow naturally from one sentence to the next - from Charles.  Using this strategy will help you remember that you are writing for an audience and that every sentence and paragraph should serve a purpose. This in turn will encourage unity and coherence.