the hl english exam consists of two papers: a blind commentary and a compare/contrast essay of two works previously studied. the foundation of these two essays will always go back to the thesis, essentially the focus of your papers. in developing a thesis statement, there are 5 basic elements to include that will help you fashion the most effective thesis statement that is central to your exam papers.
step 1: write down the title of the work
underline the title if it is a novel (which it will most likely be) or put it in quotations if the piece is a short story/poem
step 2: add the author’s name
you would be surprised by how many people forget this seemingly obvious step. make sure to spell the author’s name correctly. at this point, your thesis could look something like this:
in The Road by Cormac McCarthy
step 3: concisely describe what is literally occurring
use a short phrase to summarize the plot, straightforwardly describe what is happening to the characters. the following is an example:
a man and his son struggle to survive in post-apocalyptic United States
step 4: suggest an underlying meaning
in this step, you are looking to incorporate what the author is trying to convey to the reader in their work. it could be a political commentary, an allusion to societal problems, or perhaps a statement on the influence of religion. often, this is the hardest part of crafting the perfect thesis statement. it is the part of the thesis that you will continually refer back to throughout your essay, as you argue how the author imparts this message through the novel. in The Road, it could be any of these:
importance of family in the face of disaster
youth as a symbol of hope for the future
loss of compassion and morality
role reversal of father and son/passing of torch to next generation
step 5: include an overarching literary device
to support the presence of the underlying meaning you chose from step 4, you need to determine what literary device enables the author to subtly address said topic. it should be a feature that permeates the entire novel. it might be an obvious aspect, such as the author’s use of juxtaposition but it could also be a device that’s not so easily observed, such as the use of time or incorporation of flower imagery. examples from The Road include:
archetypal journey
symbolism
imagery
diction
finally: put it all together
arrange all the 5 pieces together to form a coherent sentence. this will serve as a basis for your essay, from which you will stem your main points
In The Road by Cormac McCarthy, symbolism is used to illustrate the passing of the torch to the younger generation through the journey of a man and his son struggling to survive in post-apocalyptic United States.
In The Road, author Cormac McCarthy utilized diction to emphasize youth as a symbol of hope for the future in his description of a man and his son struggling to survive in post-apocalyptic United States.
additional examples:
In “Antaeus” by Seamus Heaney, the paradox of one’s elevation being one’s downfall is highlighted by direct references to the Greek myth of Antaeus and Hercules, which carry political undertones relating to Irish nationalism in the face of British imperialism.
In “A Hazel Stick for Catherine Ann” by Seamus Heaney, autobiographical references to Heaney’s daughter emphasize the passing of the torch to the next generation through the description of the speaker trimming a hazel stick for a child.
hopefully this helps you in some way, whether it’s on your ioc or on papers 1&2! let me know if you have any questions!
