Related article: What is a thesis?
A thesis statement is a statement that says what you are going to argue or prove, not what you’re going to attempt to do. It’s not your plan but your argument.
Identifying a thesis
“The first thing to remember is that a thesis is the point the author is trying to prove. That means that a topic, which can be expressed in a phrase, like “alcoholism” or “effect of corruption on poverty,” is not a thesis. A thesis can only be expressed by a complete, declarative sentence (not a question, either). So, be sure to write out a complete sentence when identifying the source’s thesis.
Often, all you need to identify the thesis of an article is the abstract—the brief summary, usually just a short paragraph, provided with the listing of many articles in most databases. This explains the main idea of the article and states what point it is trying to prove.
However, an abstract is not always provided. In those cases, you may need to read the first few paragraphs to get the gist of the article. This is typically where the author will lay out the argument and, again, state the point that they are trying to prove. In more difficult cases, it may be necessary to read the conclusion as well since this is often where they sum up the argument one last time. Sometimes, it’s clearer in the conclusion than in the introduction.
With books, the thesis may be stated on the back, on the jacket flap, in the preface or introduction, or early on in the first chapter. On the back and on the jacket look for phrases like “the author argues that…” In the preface, introduction or first chapter, look for “I argue…” or similar phrases.” From Shoreline community college.
“5.3 Turn Your Working Hypothesis into a Claim
We described the early stages of research as finding a question and imagining a tentative answer. We called that answer your working hypothesis. Now as we discuss building an argument to support that hypothesis, we change our terminology one last time. When you think you can back up your hypothesis with good reasons and evidence, you’ll present that hypothesis as your argument’s claim. A claim is an assertion (which could be one sentence or several) that demands support. Your main claim is the assertion supported by your whole research argument. Some call this assertion your thesis.” From the Turabian Manual, 9th Edition
Thesis Statements vs. Topic Statements
“Thesis Statements
Every paper must argue an idea and every paper must clearly state that idea in a thesis statement.
A thesis statement is different from a topic statement. A topic statement merely states what the paper is about. A thesis statement states the argument of that paper.
Be sure that you can easily identify your thesis and that the key points of your argument relate directly back to your thesis.
EXAMPLES
Topic statements:
This paper will discuss Harry Truman’s decision to drop the bomb on Hiroshima.
The purpose of this paper is to delve into the mindset behind Truman’s decision to drop the bomb on Hiroshima.
This paper will explore how Harry Truman came to the decision to drop the bomb on Hiroshima.
Thesis statements:
Harry Truman’s decision to drop the bomb on Hiroshima was motivated by racism.
The US confrontation with the Soviets was the key factor in Truman’s decision to drop the bomb on Hiroshima.
This paper will demonstrate that in his decision to drop the bomb on Hiroshima, Truman was unduly influenced by hawks in his cabinet.” Source: University of Mary Washington.
The theme is the central idea of a piece. It is an implicit or recurrent idea in the work.
“To identify the central idea or theme, one must also look at the other elements of fiction (plot, characters, setting, conflict, etc.) to explain how the author has tied all of these together. In order to understand the central idea or theme of the story ask yourself the following questions:
- How is the central idea or theme expressed through the characters, setting, point of view, tone, language, or conflict?
- In what way does the resolution of the external conflict indicate the central idea or theme? How does the resolution of the internal conflict express the story’s theme?
- Are symbols, metaphors, or similes used to portray the central idea or theme?
- What are the repeated images, words, or expressions in the story?
- How does the title make sense in terms of the story? Is it significant?
- What the story reveals about society, people in general, the roles of men and women, the time period in which the story takes place?
- Does the central idea make sense in light of the story and the title?
Remember, there is no one way to express the central idea of a story (but some statements are definitely better than others). The best stories have multiple levels of meaning and require MORE THAN ONE READING before the central idea becomes clear.” http://www.austincc.edu/bvillarr/theme.htm
What is the difference between a thesis statement and a theme?
A theme is the same thing as the subject or topic. It’s written as a phrase. The thesis statement (or main idea) is a single, unifying sentence that captures the central point of a piece of writing or speech, to which everything else is subordinate.
