Introduction
When you’re writing a thesis statement for an analytical essay, it isn’t enough to restate the argument or claim that the writer has made. You also need to state clearly what that writer has said and support your analysis of their work with evidence from the text. This is known as a “transcendent analysis,” because you are not just summarizing what was said but also analyzing its implications beyond the words themselves. Analytical essays ask you to take a position on an idea or argument, using details from the text to back up your point of view.
In other words, you should leave this type of essay as readers with a firm understanding of where you stand on the question being raised. How do you do that? Let’s look at how to write a thesis statement for an analytical essay by following these tips:
Outline the argument in your own words
The first step in writing a thesis statement for an analytical essay is to outline the argument of the writer in your own words. Start by reading the prompt or prompt questions and then reading the article or chapter of the book carefully. Take notes on whatever jumps out at you as being relevant to answering the question. Then, outline the main points the writer makes in what order they are presented, which will help you to see their argument as a whole and show readers that you understand the order in which their ideas are presented. You will use this outline to inform your thesis statement.
Craft a statement that shows your understanding of the writer’s argument
After outlining the argument of the writer in your own words, you need to show that you understand the writer’s argument by identifying its key points and offering evidence to support your viewpoint on the topic. This is the most important part of a book review since it’s how you show your instructor that you have truly learned from the reading and can now apply it to other situations. After outlining the writer’s argument, you should then address any counter-arguments that the writer has provided and explain how they are not valid.
In other words, you must show how the writer’s argument is correct and all other viewpoints are incorrect. You can do this by crafting a thesis statement that explains how you see the main points of their argument. Start with an introductory sentence that clearly states what the main idea is and then follow up with supporting details and examples to back it up. You can also use some vocabulary related to your chosen topic and make sure it fits in with what is being said in the article or chapter.
Include an opinion or stance on something related to your topic
The thesis statement should not only present a clear understanding of what is being said but also take a position on something related to your topics, such as whether or not you agree with something presented in the article or chapter. For example, if you are writing about someone who believes that all students can learn at their own pace, then include an opinion or stance on this idea in your thesis statement by stating whether or not you agree with this idea.
Do not make any statements about how other students should be taught, but simply state whether or not you agree with this particular point of view. If multiple points are being made within an essay, include all views being expressed so there is no confusion as readers can see which one(s) you are agreeing with.
Make a claim or statement about the topic
The final step is to make a claim or statement on something related to your thesis. This can be as simple as stating that you agree with the idea of teaching all students at their own pace. It may also be more complex, such as stating that you believe that the best way to teach certain skills is by using specific methods based on the needs of each student. Or it may simply be stating that you agree with another person’s opinion on this topic, which would then allow readers to decide if they agree with you or not.
For example:
“I believe that all students can learn at their own pace.”
“I believe that using specific methods based on each student’s needs is the best way to teach certain skills.”
“I agree with another person’s opinion about this topic.”
Include a conclusion that sums up everything discussed throughout the essay
The conclusion should summarize all of the information presented in the essay and tie everything together by stating what you believe is the main or most important point that was made in the essay. The conclusion should not only include your opinion on each point, but also state which one(s) of those points you agree with.
For example, if someone is writing an article about a student who believes that all students can learn at their own pace, and then states that this student is wrong, then include a sentence or two in your conclusion stating why this person is wrong. If your essay does not include a thesis statement or a conclusion and no parts are being discussed throughout the essay, then you may be missing an essential part of writing an academic paper.
Point out the most important details
After reading the article carefully and outlining the writer’s argument, you should have a list of points that you think are most relevant to your analysis. These should include the main points the author makes as well as details from the text or images that are important to the article or chapter you are analyzing. If you are analyzing a poem, the details you choose might include words that come up again and again, images that appear in the poem, or symbols that appear more than once. In addition, you should note any passages that you think are particularly important to understanding the article or chapter you are writing about.
If you’re analyzing an article, you might note the parts that you think are particularly convincing or where you think the author makes a particular point. If you’re analyzing a poem, you might note the verses that most clearly convey the feelings or ideas the poet has written about. You’ll use these details to support your analysis in your thesis statement.
Identify the author’s assumptions
Every writer makes assumptions about their readers: that they have some general knowledge about the subject, that they know how to understand the writer’s language and style, and that they have the same beliefs or values that the writer does. If a writer is writing about a scientific experiment, for example, they are probably assuming that their readers have a basic understanding of the scientific method and have some knowledge about the experiment’s topic.
You can identify these assumptions in the article or chapter you have chosen to analyze. You can look at how the writer frames the article, what they say about the audience and the sources they use. You can also look at the way they organize their argument, which parts they include and which they leave out, and what they choose to emphasize.
Summarize your analysis of the text
Having outlined the argument of the article or chapter you are analyzing and identified the most important details and the writer’s assumptions, you can put these elements together into a transcendent analysis that shows readers where you stand on the question being raised by the text. Start your analysis by restating the thesis statement or prompt and then describing the main argument or claim that the author makes, followed by a summary of the most important details you have chosen to bring out.
Next, identify the writer’s assumptions, which will help you to understand the context in which the writer was writing and whether or not those assumptions still seem valid. Finally, put all of this together to write a conclusion that states your analysis of the text. Your conclusion should synthesize not only what you discovered in the text but also your opinion about the article or chapter and how it makes you feel.
Conclusion: What does it all mean?
The last part of writing a thesis statement for an analytical essay is to tie everything together so that readers can see how it all connects. What does it all mean? What is the significance of this article or chapter? What does it teach us about our world or about the people who wrote it? Having analyzed the article or chapter, you should have a better understanding of the question it’s raising and what the answer to that question means for you or others.
Your conclusion should be short but also convey a sense of the importance of the topic and why readers should care about it. You can do this by bringing together elements from the analysis, making connections between different parts of the article or chapter, and using strong words to convey your feelings about it. You can also use your conclusion to suggest directions for further research or ways readers might apply what they have learned.