THE AP THESIS

1. THE AP THESIS Smarter than your average thesis.

2. ADVICE FROM SUSAN STRALE(AP ENGLISH LITERATURE CHIEF READER): • Close reading skills make the test easier. Know the language of literary analysis. • AP readers look for a quality of thoughtful attention to prompt and passage, excellent, articulate, detailed and organized writing, and an astute literary sensibility. Diction, use of language, and sophisticated word choice will make your essay stand out.

3. WHAT IS A THESIS?WHAT ROLE DOES IT SERVE IN AN ANALYTICAL ESSAY? Most years, a free response prompt will include the phrase “in a well-organized essay.” Organization begins with a thesis statement, the controlling idea of the essay. An effective thesis communicates the main point you want to make in the essay.

4. WHAT IS A THESIS?WHAT ROLE DOES IT SERVE IN AN ANALYTICAL ESSAY? • It is an expression of opinion that is both arguable and provable. • It is an assertion, a central argument around which the essay revolves. • A thesis provides an enduring understanding and serves as the essay’s guiding force.

5. AP READERS WANT TO SEE AN EXPLICIT THESIS IN EACH ESSAY Writing is extremely idiosyncratic. One size simply does not fit all. Still, readers want to see students assess the components of the prompt and then frame an argument and prove it with textual evidence. Implied thesis statements can work, and are artful in the context of a larger written piece. However, implied theses are simply asking too much work of the AP readers.

6. Let’s look at some methods you may use to generate a thesis!

7. 1. SCRATCH THE SURFACE Open with the dramatic situation connected to analysis that addresses the AP prompt. This novel is about ___________.

8. 1. SCRATCH THE SURFACE - Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a book about a boy rafting down the Mississippi River with Jim, an escaped slave. - No. This is plot, not a thesis!

9. 1. SCRATCH THE SURFACE Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is about hypocrisy. NO. This is an idea w/o any point to make. Hypocrisy isn’t a theme, it’s a word.

10. 1. SCRATCH THE SURFACE Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a book about one person’s ethical stand against the hypocritical practices of antebellum Southern society. - Okay, so this shows me you get the main idea of the book, but it still needs to be connected to a prompt.

11. 2. DIG DEEPER Consider an observation the author is making about life/humanity in the novel/play and then be sure to apply it to the prompt!

12. 3. STRIKE GOLD Use a complex sentence to communicate a complex thought. Use a subordinate clause and independent clause.

13. 3. STRIKE GOLD Prompt: Discuss the role of violence and how it contributes to the author’s message. -Although the escalation of violence in John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men eventually results in two deaths, it is through violence that compassion is revealed when George, in a violent but merciful act, saves his friend Lenny from cruel mob justice. These actions reveal the idea that…

14. 3. STRIKE GOLD Prompt: discuss how setting functions with the novel. Although Huck may not realize it, the Mississippi River serves as a symbol of freedom between the lands of chaos, hypocrisy, and destruction in Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

15. NO MATTER WHICH APPROACH YOU TAKE… …a thesis should answer or imply an answer two important questions: “How is meaning made?” “So what?”

16. In William Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew, Petruchio is far more successful at manipulating people than Lucentio. SO WHAT?

17. In William Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew, Petruchio, because of his ability to use language with precision, is far more successful at manipulating people than Lucentio, suggesting that Shakespeare views language, not money or social status, as the true source of power.

18. Now let’s look at some poetry thesis statements • The prompt: How does the poet employ literary devices to reveal the overall meaning of his/her poem?

19. These are yours… • In his poem “To an Athlete Dying Young,” Houseman tries to convey the idea that dying young, (for an athlete) whilst at the epitome or apex of one’s glory or achievement, is actually preferable to a delayed and prolonged death in which the athlete witnesses his or her own body decay, records surpasses, and fame forgotten.Through his emotional appeal and optimistic tone, Houseman conveys his belief in the notion that the athlete who dies young is ironically better off.

20. In his poem “Death Be Not Proud,” poet John Donne personifies Death as a weak bully (nice oxymoron!) and employs an arrogant, disrespectful tone to reveal his belief that Death is not all-powerful, although in reality, he is frightened by the idea of death. • Ben Jonson, in his elegy “On My First Son,” attempts to reveal to the reader of the great pain of losing a loved one while also depicting the strength of the bond between a parent and a child, especially a father and the first son. He attempts to do this through his many religious allusions, along with his conflicted and stricken tone which reveals the internal struggle residing in the surviving family left behind.

21. End of part one!!!

22. MOWAW AP open response prompts frequently include a phrase like “illuminates the meaning of the work as a whole.” In other words, what enduring understanding about the text can you offer through analysis?

23. GROW YOUR THESIS INTO AN INTRO USING FAMILIAR TOOLS: TPR = Topic, Position, Rationale Identify your subject. Make a claim. Elucidate your reasoning with evidence. But not necessarily in that order.

24. In Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, Linda is a levelheaded woman who tries desperately to stabilize her husband Willy’s life. Her enduring patience and undying love enable her to make a conscious decision to withhold truth from Willy; she tries to protect him from harsh reality. Ironically, Linda’s reluctance to give Willy the hard truth does not prevent Willy from committing suicide due to his false pride and delusions. Miller is suggesting that love and success require truth and struggle.

25. TASK: Take a look at the essay you wrote in class on Friday. Find and highlight your thesis statement. Then, trade your paper with a partner and have them fill out the thesis evaluation sheet. Make sure your partner offers meaningful commentary (more than just “Good job!”).