• Opinion: My favorite color is green.
• Thesis: Colors do more than indicate personal preference: they reveal
emotions, indicate purpose, act symbolically, and influence subconscious
thoughts.
C. A thesis statement is specific and narrowed.
1. Thesis statements are not broad overgeneralizations.
• Broad: All feminists are militant.
• Narrow: Gloria Steinem has helped positively change society's perspective
on women's roles at home and in the workplace.
• Broad: Men are chauvinists.
• Narrow: Men who repress their true feelings leave themselves open to
physical, psychological, and relationship difficulties.
2. Thesis statements cover only one topic.
• Many topics: Marijuana and television pornography should not be legalized
because they negatively influence young children.
• One topic: Medicinal marijuana use should not be legalized because it creates
problems for peace officers, physicians, and parents.
• Many topics: The theme, characters, setting, irony, conflicts, viewpoint, and
plot all contribute to making Madame Bovary a tragedy.
• One topic: Flaubert's Emma Bovary is a tragic character because, never
seeing reality, she misses some important clues that her life has gone awry,
and she falls from her social "height" into prostitution.
3. Thesis statements often focus the essay and guide its direction.
• Unfocused: Martin Luther King, Jr. is a role model for everyone to follow.
• Focused: Because of his determination, his courage to follow his beliefs, and
his unwavering sense of justice, Martin Luther King, Jr. is a symbol of
American freedom.