Sample Thesis Statements and Outlines

Samples Thesis Statements

Weak: “Pilate is a strong character who serves as the protector of her family.”

(Too close to plot, hard to argue this)

Better: “Morrison uses Pilate as a character to show the incomparable strength of acting as a true individual.  Through Pilate’s naming, her history of pain and isolation, and Pilate’s actions towards the members of her family, Morrison uses this character to demonstrate the true strength comes from within, that true freedom stems from knowing oneself, and that true power is attained through compassion.

Weak: “Milkman’s name implies that he is a user and may have some stereotypically “white” qualities or characteristics.”

(Maybe a good topic sentence, but just not broad enough for the whole essay)

Better: Morrison names her main character Milkman, a name that implies dependence on others, to foreshadow his troubled relationship with women and his struggle to find himself, independent of the needs, expectations, and love of others.

How I would approach this essay:

Pick a character you feel comfortable with.

Trace backward: What’s the big idea with this character?  Then, how might this connect with something about their name? OR

Trace forward: What are all the things their name suggests?  Pick a couple and trace their significance through the rest of the book.

Sample Outlines:

Basic--based on bullet points of assignment sheet

Thesis: Morrison creates Character X, a character's whose naming doesn't seem to match/ matches exactly their personality, values, etc, in order to make the reader sympathize with this character. (or not sympathize, whatever)

A1: Morrison is drawing on Christan religions and connotations of "whiteness" in naming this character X.

A 2: This character does/doesn't fit the connotations/history of his or her name because...

A3: Morrison uses a character whose name does/doesn't fit in order to criticize...or Morrison emphasizes this character's purpose in the book as a X, by choosing a name that underlines this connection.

Thesis: Character X's name both does and doesn't fit because of reasons X, Y, Z.

A1: Here's what we'd expect the name to mean, and in way X, it does fit.

A2: Name doesn't fit because of reason Y.

A3: Name doesn't fit because of reason Z.

Conclusion: Here's what I think the larger significance of this character's struggles to be both this and that means for the text as a whole...

Thesis: Morrison chooses Milkman as a main character in order to explore the unique challenges of being a black man in the 1960's, including the necessity to separate oneself from one's parents, the difficulty of coming to terms with racism and privilege, and the critical nature of the search for self.

A1: Milkman, who is named for his unnatural attachment to his mother, struggles to separate himself from his parents, but will not, Morrison implies, be an individual until he does so.

A2: Milkman, in many ways connotes "whiteness," becomes problematic as Milkman attempts to define himself in opposition to his black-power leader best friend, Guitar.

A3: Morrison uses Milkman to show the necessity of personal growth and a search for the individual, by creating a character who is always ready to "milk" others, before plunging the depths of himself.

Thesis: Morrison uses Lena to criticize stereotypical gender roles, to reveal the reality of the Dead family dynamics, and to shake Milkman out of the complacency and idleness of privilege and selfishness. (In other words, Morrison uses Character X to A, B, and C)

A1: Morrison uses Character X, like the biblical figure who blah blah, to A.

A2: In a departure from Character X's namesake, Morrison uses Character X, to B.

A3: Finally, Morrison uses Character X to C.

Thesis: Character X's name and naming history connects him or her to ideas A, B, and C.

A1: Here's how name connects to A

A2: Here's how name connects to B

A3: Here's how the story of how they got their name connects to C

Conclusion: By connecting Character X to ideas A, B, and C, Morrison is reiterating her main theme of the power of naming.  Here I am elaborating on how I see this.