example thesis statement for analytical essay

Module 8: Analysis and Synthesis

Analytical thesis statements, learning objective.

Describe strategies for writing analytical thesis statements
Identify analytical thesis statements

In order to write an analysis, you want to first have a solid understanding of the thing you are analyzing. Remember, when you are analyzing as a writer, you are:

Breaking down information or artifacts into component parts
Uncovering relationships among those parts
Determining motives, causes, and underlying assumptions
Making inferences and finding evidence to support generalizations

You may be asked to analyze a book, an essay, a poem, a movie, or even a song. For example, let’s suppose you want to analyze the lyrics to a popular song. Pretend that a rapper called Escalade has the biggest hit of the summer with a song titled “Missing You.” You listen to the song and determine that it is about the pain people feel when a loved one dies. You have already done analysis at a surface level and you want to begin writing your analysis. You start with the following thesis statement:

Escalade’s hit song “Missing You” is about grieving after a loved one dies.

There isn’t much depth or complexity to such a claim because the thesis doesn’t give much information. In order to write a better thesis statement, we need to dig deeper into the song. What is the importance of the lyrics? What are they really about? Why is the song about grieving? Why did he present it this way? Why is it a powerful song? Ask questions to lead you to further investigation. Doing so will help you better understand the work, but also help you develop a better thesis statement and stronger analytical essay.

Formulating an Analytical Thesis Statement

When formulating an analytical thesis statement in college, here are some helpful words and phrases to remember:

What? What is the claim?
How? How is this claim supported?
So what? In other words, “What does this mean, what are the implications, or why is this important?”

Telling readers what the lyrics are might be a useful way to let them see what you are analyzing and/or to isolate specific parts where you are focusing your analysis. However, you need to move far beyond “what.” Instructors at the college level want to see your ability to break down material and demonstrate deep thinking. The claim in the thesis statement above said that Escalade’s song was about loss, but what evidence do we have for that, and why does that matter?

Effective analytical thesis statements require digging deeper and perhaps examining the larger context. Let’s say you do some research and learn that the rapper’s mother died not long ago, and when you examine the lyrics more closely, you see that a few of the lines seem to be specifically about a mother rather than a loved one in general.

Then you also read a recent interview with Escalade in which he mentions that he’s staying away from hardcore rap lyrics on his new album in an effort to be more mainstream and reach more potential fans. Finally, you notice that some of the lyrics in the song focus on not taking full advantage of the time we have with our loved ones. All of these pieces give you material to write a more complex thesis statement, maybe something like this:

In the hit song “Missing You,” Escalade draws on his experience of losing his mother and raps about the importance of not taking time with family for granted in order to connect with his audience.

Such a thesis statement is focused while still allowing plenty of room for support in the body of your paper. It addresses the questions posed above:

The claim is that Escalade connects with a broader audience by rapping about the importance of not taking time with family for granted in his hit song, “Missing You.”
This claim is supported in the lyrics of the song and through the “experience of losing his mother.”
The implications are that we should not take the time we have with people for granted.

Certainly, there may be many ways for you to address “what,” “how,” and “so what,” and you may want to explore other ideas, but the above example is just one way to more fully analyze the material. Note that the example above is not formulaic, but if you need help getting started, you could use this template format to help develop your thesis statement.

Through ________________(how?), we can see that __________________(what?), which is important because ___________________(so what?). [1]

Just remember to think about these questions (what? how? and so what?) as you try to determine why something is what it is or why something means what it means. Asking these questions can help you analyze a song, story, or work of art, and can also help you construct meaningful thesis sentences when you write an analytical paper.

Key Takeaways for analytical theses

Don’t be afraid to let your claim evolve organically . If you find that your thinking and writing don’t stick exactly to the thesis statement you have constructed, your options are to scrap the writing and start again to make it fit your claim (which might not always be possible) or to modify your thesis statement. The latter option can be much easier if you are okay with the changes. As with many projects in life, writing doesn’t always go in the direction we plan, and strong analysis may mean thinking about and making changes as you look more closely at your topic. Be flexible.

Use analysis to get you to the main claim. You may have heard the simile that analysis is like peeling an onion because you have to go through layers to complete your work. You can start the process of breaking down an idea or an artifact without knowing where it will lead you or without a main claim or idea to guide you. Often, careful assessment of the pieces will bring you to an interesting interpretation of the whole. In their text Writing Analytically , authors David Rosenwasser and Jill Stephen posit that being analytical doesn’t mean just breaking something down. It also means constructing understandings. Don’t assume you need to have deeper interpretations all figured out as you start your work.

When you decide upon the main claim, make sure it is reasoned . In other words, if it is very unlikely anyone else would reach the same interpretation you are making, it might be off base. Not everyone needs to see an idea the same way you do, but a reasonable person should be able to understand, if not agree, with your analysis.

Look for analytical thesis statements in the following activity.

Using Evidence

An effective analytical thesis statement (or claim) may sound smart or slick, but it requires evidence to be fully realized. Consider movie trailers and the actual full-length movies they advertise as an analogy. If you see an exciting one-minute movie trailer online and then go see the film only to leave disappointed because all the good parts were in the trailer, you feel cheated, right? You think you were promised something that didn’t deliver in its execution. A paper with a strong thesis statement but lackluster evidence feels the same way to readers.

So what does strong analytical evidence look like? Think again about “what,” “how,” and “so what.” A claim introduces these interpretations, and evidence lets you show them. Keep in mind that evidence used in writing analytically will build on itself as the piece progresses, much like a good movie builds to an interesting climax.

Key Takeaways about evidence

Be selective about evidence. Having a narrow thesis statement will help you be selective with evidence, but even then, you don’t need to include any and every piece of information related to your main claim. Consider the best points to back up your analytic thesis statement and go deeply into them. (Also, remember that you may modify your thesis statement as you think and write, so being selective about what evidence you use in an analysis may actually help you narrow down what was a broad main claim as you work.) Refer back to our movie theme in this section: You have probably seen plenty of films that would have been better with some parts cut out and more attention paid to intriguing but underdeveloped characters and/or ideas.

Be clear and explicit with your evidence. Don’t assume that readers know exactly what you are thinking. Make your points and explain them in detail, providing information and context for readers, where necessary. Remember that analysis is critical examination and interpretation, but you can’t just assume that others always share or intuit your line of thinking. Need a movie analogy? Think back on all the times you or someone you know has said something like “I’m not sure what is going on in this movie.”

Move past obvious interpretations. Analyzing requires brainpower. Writing analytically is even more difficult. Don’t, however, try to take the easy way out by using obvious evidence (or working from an obvious claim). Many times writers have a couple of great pieces of evidence to support an interesting interpretation, but they feel the need to tack on an obvious idea—often more of an observation than analysis—somewhere in their work. This tendency may stem from the conventions of the five-paragraph essay, which features three points of support. Writing analytically, though, does not mean writing a five-paragraph essay (not much writing in college does). Develop your other evidence further or modify your main idea to allow room for additional strong evidence, but avoid obvious observations as support for your main claim. One last movie comparison? Go take a look at some of the debate on predictable Hollywood scripts. Have you ever watched a movie and felt like you have seen it before? You have, in one way or another. A sharp reader will be about as interested in obvious evidence as he or she will be in seeing a tired script reworked for the thousandth time.

One type of analysis you may be asked to write is a literary analysis, in which you examine a piece of text by breaking it down and looking for common literary elements, such as character, symbolism, plot, setting, imagery, and tone.

The video below compares writing a literary analysis to analyzing a team’s chances of winning a game—just as you would look at various factors like the weather, coaching, players, their record, and their motivation for playing. Similarly, when analyzing a literary text you want to look at all of the literary elements that contribute to the work.

The video takes you through the story of Cinderalla as an example, following the simplest possible angle (or thesis statement), that “Dreams can come true if you don’t give up.” (Note that if you were really asked to analyze Cinderella for a college class, you would want to dig deeper to find a more nuanced and interesting theme, but it works well for this example.) To analyze the story with this theme in mind, you’d want to consider the literary elements such as imagery, characters, dialogue, symbolism, the setting, plot, and tone, and consider how each of these contribute to the message that “Dreams can come true if you don’t give up.”

You can view the transcript for “How to Analyze Literature” here (opens in new window) .

Candela Citations

Keys to Successful Analysis. Authored by : Guy Krueger. Provided by : University of Mississippi. License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
Thesis Statement Activity. Authored by : Excelsior OWL. Located at : https://owl.excelsior.edu/research/thesis-or-focus/thesis-or-focus-thesis-statement-activity/ . License : CC BY: Attribution
What is Analysis?. Authored by : Karen Forgette. Provided by : University of Mississippi. License : CC BY: Attribution
How to Analyze Literature. Provided by : HACC, Central Pennsylvania's Community College. Located at : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pr4BjZkQ5Nc . License : Other . License Terms : Standard YouTube License
UCLA Undergraduate Writing Center. "What, How and So What?" Approaching the Thesis as a Process. https://wp.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/UWC_handouts_What-How-So-What-Thesis-revised-5-4-15-RZ.pdf ↵

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Tips and Examples for Writing Thesis Statements

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Tips for Writing Your Thesis Statement

1. Determine what kind of paper you are writing:

An analytical paper breaks down an issue or an idea into its component parts, evaluates the issue or idea, and presents this breakdown and evaluation to the audience.
An expository (explanatory) paper explains something to the audience.
An argumentative paper makes a claim about a topic and justifies this claim with specific evidence. The claim could be an opinion, a policy proposal, an evaluation, a cause-and-effect statement, or an interpretation. The goal of the argumentative paper is to convince the audience that the claim is true based on the evidence provided.

If you are writing a text that does not fall under these three categories (e.g., a narrative), a thesis statement somewhere in the first paragraph could still be helpful to your reader.

2. Your thesis statement should be specific—it should cover only what you will discuss in your paper and should be supported with specific evidence.

3. The thesis statement usually appears at the end of the first paragraph of a paper.

4. Your topic may change as you write, so you may need to revise your thesis statement to reflect exactly what you have discussed in the paper.

Thesis Statement Examples

Example of an analytical thesis statement:

The paper that follows should:

Explain the analysis of the college admission process
Explain the challenge facing admissions counselors

Example of an expository (explanatory) thesis statement:

Explain how students spend their time studying, attending class, and socializing with peers

Example of an argumentative thesis statement:

Present an argument and give evidence to support the claim that students should pursue community projects before entering college

Analysis Thesis Statement: Definition, Types, Examples & How-To Guide

example thesis statement for analytical essay

What is Analysis Thesis Statement?

An analysis thesis statement is a sentence or group of sentences that presents the main argument or interpretation in an analytical essay or paper. It provides a specific claim about a text, concept, or issue, and sets the direction for the analysis by outlining the aspect(s) being examined, such as themes, characters, rhetorical strategies, or structure. The analysis thesis statement offers a debatable interpretation that will be supported by evidence from the source material throughout the analysis. It not only states what will be analyzed but also explains how and why the analysis is significant.

Table of Contents

Types of Analysis Thesis Statements

There are various types of analysis thesis statements , each tailored to the specific type of analysis being conducted. Below are some common types:

Textual Analysis Thesis Statement

A textual analysis thesis statement presents a claim about the meaning or significance of a specific element (such as language, imagery, or theme) within a text. It focuses on how the text’s components contribute to its overall meaning.

Logical Analysis Thesis Statement

A logical analysis thesis statement evaluates the logical structure and coherence of an argument within a text. It examines whether the reasoning is sound and whether the conclusions are well-supported by evidence.

Critical Analysis Thesis Statement

A critical analysis thesis statement interprets a text through a specific critical lens (e.g., feminist, Marxist, or psychoanalytic). It analyzes how the text relates to broader social, political, or theoretical contexts.

Contextual Analysis Thesis Statement

A contextual analysis thesis statement examines a text in relation to the historical, cultural, or social circumstances in which it was produced. It connects the content of the text with the context to reveal deeper meanings or critiques.

Theoretical Analysis Thesis Statement

A theoretical analysis thesis statement applies a specific theoretical framework (e.g., structuralism, psychoanalysis, postmodernism) to interpret the meaning of a text. It explores how the theory enhances the understanding of the work.

Rhetorical Analysis Thesis Statement

A rhetorical analysis thesis statement focuses on how an author or speaker uses rhetorical strategies (ethos, pathos, logos) to persuade or inform an audience. It assesses the effectiveness of these techniques in achieving the intended purpose.

Character Analysis Thesis Statement

A character analysis thesis statement examines a character’s personality, motivations, relationships, and development throughout a text. It evaluates how the character contributes to the overall themes or narrative of the work.

Structural Analysis Thesis Statement

A structural analysis thesis statement evaluates how the organization and form of a text (e.g., narrative structure, use of flashbacks) influence its meaning and effectiveness. It examines how the structure shapes the reader’s understanding.

How to Write a Analysis Thesis Statement?

Below are the steps to write analysis thesis statement for each type:

Steps to Write Textual Analysis Thesis Statement

Choose a specific aspect of the text (theme, symbol, tone, or literary device) to focus on.
Identify how this element is used throughout the text.
Determine the significance of this element to the overall meaning or message of the work.
Combine these points into a clear, concise thesis. Example: “In The Catcher in the Rye, Salinger uses the recurring symbol of the red hunting hat to represent Holden’s desire for individuality and protection from the adult world

Steps to Write Logical Analysis Thesis Statement

Identify the argument or reasoning structure in the text.
Analyze whether the argument follows a logical progression or contains fallacies.
Assess how the logical flow supports or weakens the overall claim.
Formulate a thesis that critiques the logic used. Example: “The author’s argument for climate change policy reform is weakened by the reliance on slippery slope reasoning and the exclusion of relevant scientific data.”

Steps to Write Critical Analysis Thesis Statement

Choose a critical lens (e.g., feminist, Marxist, postcolonial) to apply to the text.
Identify key themes or moments in the text that relate to this lens.
Analyze how the text supports or critiques the ideas of this critical perspective.
Develop a thesis that reflects your interpretation. Example: “A Marxist analysis of A Christmas Carol reveals how Dickens critiques the class disparity of Victorian England through Scrooge’s transformation from a symbol of capitalist greed to one of moral redemption.”

Steps to Write Contextual Analysis Thesis Statement:

Research the historical, cultural, or social context of the text’s creation.
Identify how these external factors influence the content or themes of the work.
Consider how the text reflects or challenges its context.
Write a thesis that connects the context to the text’s meaning. Example: “By setting The Grapes of Wrath during the Great Depression, Steinbeck highlights the harsh realities of poverty and migration, serving as a critique of the American capitalist system.”

Steps to Write Theoretical Analysis Thesis Statement

Choose a theoretical framework (e.g., psychoanalytic, structuralist, postmodern).
Identify relevant elements of the text that can be interpreted through this theory.
Analyze how the theoretical approach illuminates new meaning in the text.
Develop a thesis that applies the theory to the text. Example: “Freud’s theory of the unconscious is evident in Wuthering Heights, where Heathcliff’s actions represent repressed desires and unresolved trauma from childhood.

Steps to Write Rhetorical Analysis Thesis Statement

Identify the rhetorical strategies (ethos, pathos, logos) used in the text.
Determine how these strategies are used to achieve the author’s or speaker’s purpose.
Analyze the effectiveness of these strategies in persuading the audience.
Write a thesis that summarizes your analysis. Example: “In his ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail,’ Martin Luther King Jr. uses ethos to establish his credibility, pathos to appeal to emotions, and logos to construct a logical argument for civil rights.”

Steps to Write Character Analysis Thesis Statement

Choose a character to analyze and identify their traits, motivations, and development.
Examine how the character’s actions and experiences affect the story.
Analyze how the character reflects or challenges broader themes.
Write a thesis that encapsulates your analysis. Example: “In Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet’s independence and wit challenge the social norms of her time, ultimately allowing her to transcend traditional gender roles.”

Steps to Write Structural Analysis Thesis Statement

Identify the structure of the text (e.g., narrative structure, frame narrative, flashbacks).
Analyze how this structure influences the pacing, themes, or character development.
Consider how the structure supports or challenges traditional forms.
Develop a thesis that explains the significance of the structure. Example: “The fragmented narrative structure of Slaughterhouse-Five reflects the chaotic nature of war and time, illustrating how trauma distorts the protagonist’s perception of reality.”

Analysis Thesis Statement Examples:

Below are examples of different types of analysis thesis statements.

Textual Analysis Thesis Statement Examples:

In 1984, George Orwell’s use of language manipulation by the Party reveals the dangers of totalitarian control over thought and perception.
Shakespeare’s frequent use of soliloquies in Hamlet serves as a window into Hamlet’s psychological struggles and philosophical reflections.
In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald’s symbolic use of the green light highlights Gatsby’s unattainable dream and the futility of the American Dream.

Logical Analysis Thesis Statement Examples:

The argument presented in the article on climate change lacks logical consistency, as it ignores counter-evidence and relies heavily on emotional appeals rather than data.”
In Descartes’ Meditations, his argument for the existence of God follows a logical progression but faces criticism for circular reasoning, especially in the ‘Trademark Argument.'”
The debate on capital punishment often hinges on a logical fallacy known as ‘appeal to tradition,’ where proponents argue its validity based solely on its historical usage.”

Critical Analysis Thesis Statement Examples:

Feminist critique of The Handmaid’s Tale uncovers the ways Atwood critiques patriarchy and the control of women’s bodies in a dystopian society.
A Marxist analysis of A Christmas Carol reveals how Dickens critiques the class system and the unequal distribution of wealth in Victorian England.
A postcolonial critique of Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness exposes the text’s underlying Eurocentric bias and its problematic portrayal of Africa.

Contextual Analysis Thesis Statement Examples:

Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn can be better understood within the context of post-Civil War America, where issues of race and freedom were contentious and heavily debated.
Understanding the context of Victorian society is crucial when analyzing Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations, particularly in relation to class distinctions and the rise of industrialization.
George Orwell’s Animal Farm reflects the historical context of the Russian Revolution and Stalin’s rise to power, using allegory to criticize totalitarian regimes and political corruption.

Theoretical Analysis Thesis Statement Examples:

Applying Freud’s theory of the unconscious to Wuthering Heights suggests that Heathcliff’s behavior is driven by repressed desires and unresolved childhood trauma.
Using Foucault’s theory of power relations, we can analyze how surveillance and control are enforced in Orwell’s 1984 to maintain authoritarian rule.
Through the lens of postmodernist theory, Don DeLillo’s White Noise can be interpreted as a critique of consumerism and the saturation of media in modern life.

Rhetorical Analysis Thesis Statement Examples:

In his I Have a Dream speech, Martin Luther King Jr. employs repetition, metaphor, and biblical allusions to inspire hope and advocate for racial equality.
Barack Obama’s inaugural speech effectively uses pathos by invoking personal stories and American ideals to create a sense of unity and optimism.
In Letter from Birmingham Jail, Martin Luther King Jr. strategically uses logos to justify the need for nonviolent protest in the fight against segregation.

Character Analysis Thesis Statement Examples:

In To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch represents moral integrity and justice, serving as a moral compass for his children and the town of Maycomb.
Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby is a complex character, driven by an idealistic vision of love and wealth that ultimately leads to his downfall.
Lady Macbeth’s character in Macbeth transforms from a manipulative and ambitious woman to one overwhelmed by guilt and madness.

Structural Analysis Thesis Statement Examples:

In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley uses a frame narrative structure to create layers of storytelling, enhancing the themes of isolation and perspective.
The non-linear structure of Slaughterhouse-Five mirrors the fragmented and chaotic nature of the protagonist’s experience with war and time travel.
James Joyce’s Ulysses employs stream-of-consciousness narration, which breaks conventional narrative structure to explore the inner workings of the human mind.