How to Write a Good Thesis Statement and How to Write a Good Title.

Please read these instructions carefully. Also read both “How to Write a Good Thesis Statement” and “How to Write a Good Title” before you begin your writing process. These are on my blog, right column, under MISC LINKS & DOCUMENTS. I expect you to write your titles and thesis statements as outlined in these documents.Specific guidelines:Length: 4 full pages, no more or lessAppearancePlace your name in the upper left corner. No other information needs to be there. Skip one space before the title, and another space before the body of your text. The rest of the thesis should be double-spaced, with 1-inch margins, and in MLA style throughout, stapled, and with page numbers.The TitleThe title is the very first thing anyone reads and that first impression is very important. Don’t leave the title for the last thing. It will read like an afterthought. Read the document on my blog, right hand column, under MISC LINKS & DOCUMENTS called “How to Write a Good Title.” Your title should do these things: a. identify the piece of literature you are writing about, and b. give away your thesis/argument (keep in mind: a title is never a question).Titles should be centered at the top of the page, one space beneath your name and one space above the beginning of your text. DO NOT bold or italicize your title or place it within quotation marks. Italicization and/or quotation marks should only be used if you have a title within your title.The Thesis StatementThe most frequent mistake writers make is thinking that an observation about the text is a thesis. For instance, “Tillie Olsen’s ‘I Stand Here Ironing’ is a story that can be read from a psychoanalytic perspective” is not a thesis statement, it is merely an observation—and not an interesting one. To get to a thesis, take the observation one step further. Ask yourself: If I read Olsen’s story from a psychoanalytic perspective, what changes? How do I read differently? What insights do I glean? This will push you in the direction of a thesis statement. Underline your thesis statement.One oft-used thesis that is NOT a thesis and that I do not want to see in your essays is this: “XYZ is a story that can be read from a [instert any theory here] perspective.” Nor do I want you to write “From Winnicott’s persective.” This is your argument to make. Your job is to write from within the perspective of the psychoanalytical thinker employing his ideas and concepts.MiscellaneousQuote/cite liberally from both the theorist AND from the fiction (or from information about your myth) to support your argument. Quote from both the theorist and from the story. You should be citing from both the theorist and from the story in almost every paragraph.Avoid narrating plot. You are looking for passages and material from the theorist to support your thesis/argument. Try to think conceptually and analytically, not according to narrative. Assume your reader has read the fiction, or is familiar with the myth, but not the theory.As a rule it is bad form to either begin or end a paragraph with quotation. The reader can be confused. You lose control. Each paragraph should begin and end with your voice, not with cited material.All writing for this class is analytical by nature. Avoid “throw-away” words and clichés. You have only four short pages to make an argument that should be as complex and nuanced as you can make it. Don’t repeat yourself. During the editing process, go through your work and cut away anything that is not contributing to your argument. Be especially careful with the introduction, as this is where writers most often try to lead their reader into their topic with what I call “throw-away” words. Get right to the point and stay on point.A word about paraphrase: In this class I expect you to quote and cite from the theorist to demonstrate your understanding and interpretation. You should be quoting and citing in every paragraph—both from the theorist and from the fiction that you are writing about. Because you are quoting and citing so much, you do not need to cite when you paraphrase.Bringing this particular story and this particular theory together will of course have you thinking about Emily, her mother, and the holding environment the mother makes for the daughter throughout her development. In your thesis statement, however, try to think beyond how these tools can inform your reading of the characters within the story. Your thesis should address the bigger question; why is this story important? What kind of work does this text do? What is this text trying to communicate? Why is it worth reading?Winnicott/Olsen EssayYou’ve read the material on and by Winnicott—be sure to keep your sources distinct—you have material written by the theorist and material written about him. We discussed the following concepts in class:primary maternal preoccupationthe good-enough mothersubjective omnipotenceholding environmentobjective realitytransitional objectsobject usageimpingementfalse self disorderThese concepts are the “tools” you will use to construct your thesis—to organize your argument—about Tillie Olsen’s short story. You should prioritize your use of these—they are not equally important—but use almost all of them—which means that you will be using both theoretical material written by Winnicott himself and secondary material about him—Mitchel and Black. Use the concept. Define the concept. Cite from the theorist or from Mitchell and Black to support your use of the concept and to help build your argument.Important to remember this: your topic is the story. You are writing about the story. You are not writing about Winnicott. Your job at this stage is to become a psychoanalytic thinker and to interpret the story from Winnicott’s perspective. Avoid the extremes of 1. picking an argument with the theorist, or 2. abandoning your own voice and simply saying “Winnicott would say.” I’m looking to see how well you can take a theoretical perspective, use it to “think with” a piece of fiction, and craft an argument with it. Find your argument within the theory itself.