How to Write a Thematic Essay 2022
Every piece of writing ever written has its agenda. Whether it’s to teach a lesson or show the impact of a particular emotion or action, a central theme can be developed. The goal for us as readers is to uncover what the author was trying to tell us between the lines in their literature. When we do finally discover it, we’ve accomplished the first step of thematic essay writing! Let’s see below how to write a thematic essay with our papers writing service .
What Is a Thematic Essay?
Let’s look at the thematic essay definition; a thematic essay is a piece of writing in which an author develops the central theme in some literature using literary devices like foreshadowing, imagery, personification, etc.
A professional essay writer will uncover the primary subject, elaborate upon the literary devices employed, and express the overall significance of the theme. The primary challenge comes from the fact that although there are various subjects, finding the most meaningful and impactful one can be challenging.
Naturally, each person has their own varied interpretation, making it hard to agree on a central theme wholesomely. In short, a well written thematic essay comes from a healthy central idea that is conclusively proven via literary devices and logical arguments.
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How to Pick a Thematic Topic?
A crucial aspect of writing a good thematic essay is choosing a theme. Follow the hints listed below to help you create a thematic topic:
Brainstorm from your own experiences. Recall what you were talking about in class, with your mates or parents. Do some of these conversations remind you of some book, novel or another piece of literature?
Write down every idea that comes to mind. Sometimes, your most absurd ideas are the best way to go.
List your favourite literature pieces. Which literature piece was the most touching for you? Try to analyze its subject and problems the author built upon within the story; it might help you come up with your own ideas.
Look at the details of other literature pieces: You might find some interesting details within other literature that can help you come up with your theme.
Still have no idea what to write about? No worries, we have your back.
Thematic Essay Topics
- What is George Orwell’s deliberation in portraying a “Perfect Utopia” in his book 1984?
- What main idea is George Orwell painting about Communism in the book Animal Farm?
- What is Harper Lee saying about innocence in her novel To Kill A Mockingbird?
- What is John Steinbeck saying about loneliness and isolation in Of Mice and Men?
- What is F. Scott Fitzgerald saying about the American Dream in The Great Gatsby?
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How to Find and Explore the Central Theme
As stated before, uncovering the main subject and central theme respectively is the first significant step in a thematic paper. However, with so many things going on within the literature, it may be difficult to interpret the central theme accurately. To make sure you choose it correctly, follow these steps:
1. Summarize the literature: What main idea is the author trying to purvey? Usually, there will be many hints along the way, so choosing the right direction may not be so challenging.
2. Pick the most prevalent subject: One thing to note is the significant difference between a subject and a theme. A subject is the general topic of conversation—whether it be love, bravery, deception, etc. A theme is a specific point the author is making about said subject. So, find the talking point that is most commonly being brought up. This will be the focal point of the essay.
3. Read between the lines: After finding the most suitable subject, decipher what main point the author is trying to make. This will become clearer as you get deeper into the literature since clues and examples will appear frequently. After fully deciphering the central theme, there is one more significant step.
4. Overall significance: What is the overall significance that comes from the author’s point? What can be taken from this and applied to our personal lives? In other words, what is the lesson from all of this? What have we learned?
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Thematic Essay Outline
The thematic essay has several key components. First of all, it should be five paragraphs or more, depending on the depth of the theme. Next, it should have a concrete thesis statement, which, in other words, is the thematic statement that comes from the main subject. The introduction presents the reader with the subject and the thesis statement. The body paragraphs each discuss one literary element or more to defend the validity of your thesis, all the while providing many supporting details from the text itself. Lastly, the thematic essay conclusion summarizes the main points presented and finishes off with a statement of significance.
The thematic essay introduction presents the main subject of discussion in a captivating way. The first sentence of the intro should be a hook statement that makes some intriguing claim about the subject of discussion. If done correctly, this will grab your reader's attention. Afterwards, provide any necessary background information from the literature that will help the audience understand your claims later on. Lastly, put together a well thought out thesis statement that reflects the central theme of the novel.
The body paragraphs follow a thematic essay format. Since each body paragraph’s purpose should be to present a literary device as evidence, the topic sentence should introduce the claim and gateway into the evidence. Every topic sentence must mention a literary device and its relationship to the literature.
Afterwards, to validate your claim, use examples from the book that strengthen the reasoning of your statement. These can be actions from the plot or quotations that are parallel with the central theme. It’s imperative to explain how the action/quote links back to your thesis statement, as it shows that you can support your logic.
Remember: each claim must use a literary device. It can not just be a random moment or inference. Thematic essays are all about proving thesis statements through the use of critical literary devices.
The thematic essay conclusion has three main objectives to complete before wrapping up the entire paper. It should not present any new information or facts, but should summarize the information already given. First of all, restate your thesis statement in a new way. Then, summarize the central claims you made within the body of your paper and their influence on the thesis statement. To finish off the entire work, present an overall concluding statement with a global analysis of the subject. Leave your reader with another hook, making him/her interested in digging deeper into the topic.
Try also read an article on poetry analysis essay , it could be useful and can give you new insights.
Thematic Essay Example
The best way to familiarise yourself with this type of writing is to learn from an example.
Even though the ancient Greek cities of Athens and Sparta were geographically close to each other, they had very distinct cultures, lifestyles, values, and political systems that defined them. The following paper compares and contrasts the cultural impacts of the two cities by examining some of the duties and responsibilities of the citizenry as well as the different values that were deemed important. The paper further evaluates the impact of accomplishments that would have been left by both city-states on the history of western civilization.
Wrap Things Up
Before submitting your thematic essay, make sure to check a couple of things to correct any possible errors.
- Double-check and confirm that the central theme you have decided is the one that the author likely meant to focus on. Unless you can provide a secondary issue and present it strongly enough as a primary, validate the primary subject.
- Go through and proofread your entire paper. Nothing makes reading more irritating than grammatical mistakes, clean that stuff up as much as possible.
- Get a second pair of eyes to read through your paper. It’s best to ask a classmate for help, as they most likely have or had a similar assignment. Another great way to polish things up is to ask one of our writers to give you some helpful advice.
We also recommend reading about Jem Finch character traits , our readers find it very interesting.
Having a Trouble with Your Thematic Essay?
Having a hard time thinking up a proper topic to write about? Or, do you have one but are having a hard time deciphering the theme? Let our custom essay writing service do all the work for you. Check out our price calculator to estimate the cost of your assignment.
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What is a Thematic Essay?
A thematic essay is based on a specific question or theme. A writer will develop a main idea or a theme around which the whole essay will revolve. The writer answers certain questions related to the opted idea and explain using certain literary devices. These devices could be:
- Personification.
- Comparison.
- Foreshadowing.
A writer will reveal the primary subject and explain all the literary devices used in the text, and express the significance of the theme. For example, this article is itself a thematic essay as the basic purpose or the idea behind this article is to help you write an essay.
How do you write a Theme Essay?
To write a theme essay, you should follow the following tips:
- Paragraphs should be five or more depending upon the theme. A minimum requirement is five paragraphs.
- Brainstorm ideas at first.
- It must include a thesis statement or the topic sentence.
- Introduction must elaborate the thesis statement.
- Main body must discuss the literary devices used.
- Add relevant supporting details to the main body that defend your theme.
- Conclusion should be precise and finishes off the essay stating the overall significance.
- Be relevant and precise.
- Add necessary examples where needed.
- Refer to the author and avoid giving your personal opinion.
This is only a sample, to get your own paper you need to:
Thematic Essay Example
Thematic Essay Format
Thematic Essay Outline
Thematic Essay Sample
Theme Essay Example
Theme Essay Outline
The outline of a thematic essay is similar to the general essay writing. It includes an introduction, main body, and the conclusion.
How do you introduce a Thematic Essay?
Introduction is the heart of every essay. It should not involve any stories but must be relevant, precise, and interesting for the reader. An introduction will decide that the reader would further go through the essay or not. A weak introduction might not get the attention of a reader but a strong introduction will definitely get the interest of the reader. These are some basic tips that will help you in developing a strong introduction:
- Select a relevant topic.
- First sentence should be a hook statement. A good hook statement will grab the reader’s attention instantly.
- Provide necessary background information after the hook statement. This will help the readers to better understand your claims in the rest of the text.
- Now add a thesis statement. The statement should summarize the main idea or theme of the essay.
- The thesis statement should be well researched and related to the theme.
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The body paragraphs of a thematic essay follow strict formatting.
- Every paragraph must represent a literary device.
- Every sentence should have author’s name and his connection to the claim you are making along with a literary device.
- The easiest way to strengthen your claims is to insert examples from book.
- You can add quotations or actions relevant to the theme of the essay.
- Literary devices are necessary to use as they reduce the risk of losing the focus of the essay.
- Be precise and do not give your own opinion as this is an expository essay.
For the conclusion:
- Never add new information to the conclusion even if it is related to the topic.
- The conclusion must summarize what you have explained in the body paragraphs.
- Use you thesis statement at first with a transition like “in a nutshell”
- Summarize the three most important claims and briefly discuss how these claims influence the thesis statement.
- Lastly, add an overall concluding sentence that gives a wide analysis of the discussion.
What is an Example of Thematic Essay?
Many students refer to examples from different resources. Here is an example of thematic essay from our side:
- Passages and Changes
- Political Systems
Animal farm by George Orwell
Animal Farm is a political allegory inspired by the rise of Soviet communism. The farm animals create a political philosophy called Animalism. It is idyllic at first, but is twisted and abused until it becomes a force of oppression used by the ruling class (the pigs).
One of the most important themes in Animal Farm is that of class conflict. Old Major encourages the animals (the working class) to rebel against the humans (the upper class leaders). Their initial attempts to create a utopian society are foiled by the power-hungry Napoleon, who declares that "some animals are more equal than others" and becomes indistinguishable from a human.
Truth becomes an important theme in the novel, particularly when Napoleon relies on the eloquent pig Squealer to spread lies in the form of propaganda. Squealer's lies manipulate the animals and consolidate Napoleon's power.
Animal Farm perhaps works best not as a specific allegory of the Russian Revolution but rather as a fable about the basic nature of human beings, both in isolation and in groups, which militates against any utopian ideal. What Orwellhas seized upon is precisely those qualities of animals that humans share which make such an ideal impossible—qualities such as sloth, stupidity, fear, and greed. The central irony of the fable is that although the animals initially rebel against the humans because of behavior which humans usually call “beastly,” the animals themselves, as the work progresses, become more and more like humans—that is, more and more base and beastly.
This is not the complete essay but just an extract for your guidance. This essay is based upon a novel regarding the Russian Revolution. Other topics that can be chosen are:
- Belief systems.
- Global reagents.
- History related topics.
Bottom Line
From the above example you might be clear about thematic essay. We have tried to be as clear as possible and hope that this would help you in writing a theme essay. Being a student, you must remember the above stated rules and do not forget to add at least five paragraphs in your essay. Be precise and relevant as much as you can. Do not vague as the reader would lose interest. Avoid giving your personal opinion and add the author’s name and elaborate the literary devices used. For the introduction, a hook statement would give you bonus points.
Popular Essays
- How to Write a Thematic Essay
- How to Write a Thematic Essay: A Step-by-Step Guide + Topics
- Thematic Essay Definition
Thematic Essay Topics: How to Choose
- Best Thematic Essay Topics
- Thematic Essay Outline
- Introduction
- Body Paragraphs
How to Write a Good Thematic Essay
- Thematic Essay Format
Thematic Essay Example
- Final Thoughts
- People Also Ask
1. How do you write a thesis for a thematic essay?
- 2. When do I need to write a thematic essay?
3. Which book should I write a thematic essay on?
Thematic essay definition .
The initial step in writing this type of academic paper is to have a question, "What is a thematic essay?" answered. According to the definition, it's a piece of writing based on a particular question or theme . When working on this paper, a student is supposed to reveal and develop the central theme in a specific literature work using various literary devices such as metaphor , personification, comparison, and other techniques. The thematic essay's primary purpose is to identify and disclose the main subject discussed in work. A student needs to use evidence, facts, and examples gathered from primary and secondary sources . As a professional writer, you should relate various facts. Use credible sources; otherwise, you may confuse your reader with wrong facts.
The first step requires coming up with a good thematic essay topic. If you have a theme assigned by your professor, consider yourself super lucky. But for those students who don't have any topic to write about, our top writers have prepared helpful tips and unique ideas to get you started. Keep in mind these simple guidelines:
- Focus on social issues. Commonly, a thematic essay is associated with social problems in different periods of human civilization.
- Refer to literature pieces. Use appropriate materials and references suggested by the professor to come up with an unusual topic.
- Choose a compelling theme. Understand your potential audience and define the most acceptable and strong idea which would engage an ordinary reader.
- Find the angle. Consider the issue's pros and cons, and find the turning point, which will guide you in the right way.
Still don't know what to write about in your thematic essay? Take it easy – the topic ideas listed below will come in handy. Or look through other topics such as sociology topics , etc in our database.
Best Thematic Essay Topics
There is a great variety of thematic essay topics that can be used to write an impressive work. Some of the most common subjects are related to history regents. Feel free to choose out of the following US history regents thematic essay topics:
- Years of the Great Depression
- Era of Progress in the United States of America
- Consequences of the Civil War
- Racism in the USA
- Slavery on the territory of Northern America
- Expansion of the US
As for the global regents thematic essay topics, you may consider the following ideas:
- Belief systems
- Global changes
- Environmental issues
- Economic affairs
- Alterations in the political life
- Cultural affairs
- Intellectual development
- Technological advancements
Now let's discuss the thematic essay structure and see what points to include as you do your assignment.
Thematic Essay Outline
Introduction .
To write a thematic essay introduction, you'll need to include four key components:
- Intriguing beginning
- Background information on topic
- Clear explanation of your primary subject
- Thesis statement
Body Paragraphs
Body part should follow a coherent thematic essay outline. Remember to structure your paper using these key elements:
- Topic sentence presenting your argument
- Supporting evidence (literary devices)
- Examples that prove your argument
Conclusion
A good thematic essay conclusion should be brief, logical and effective. Typically, a concluding paragraph should resonate with the thesis statement and contain such information:
- Rephrased thesis statement
- Brief summary of main arguments
- Final thoughts for further exploration
Now that you know what key elements an excellent theme paper should include let's dig deeper into the entire writing process.
As mentioned earlier, writing a thematic essay should start with unveiling the central theme of a book or novel. Basically, the whole process is all about interpreting this main subject with the help of relevant evidence . To make it easier, we invite you to look through the guide on how to write a thematic essay that stands out.
- Highlight the central theme . After you choose a literary work, determine its central theme. Think about the main idea an author tried to convey. This step requires reading between the lines and finding all main points. Once you identify literary devices used to communicate the main message, try to recognize the work's overall significance.
- Craft a thesis statement. It is the most crucial part amongst all components of the entire paper. A thesis statement is a brief claim introducing your position on the central theme. This single sentence has more significance than other sentences – remember that you will need to prove a thesis with supporting evidence.
- Write a captivating introduction. The opening paragraph of your writing should explain the theme's significance and grab the reader's attention. Highlight the main purpose of your research and offer some information on the subject. Finally, include a previously written thesis to give your audience an idea of what claim you will be supporting.
- Work on the body paragraphs. The text's main body contains at least three paragraphs that develop research and start with the topic sentence — argument. Like in an argumentative essay , they present the evidence, some examples, and proven facts. Each body paragraph should focus on at least one literary device. Use only trustworthy informative sources to support the arguments. Conduct some analysis to verify your claim.
- Write a powerful conclusion. To conclude a thematic essay, summarize the main points discussed in the body paragraphs. Your objective is to write a brief review of the work. As you write the closing paragraph, make sure that all questions were answered. Provide some food for thoughts and encourage the audience to do further research on the chosen subject.
Thematic Essay Format
Once you have your thematic essay shovel-ready, make sure that the proper essay format is followed. There are three most common academic formatting styles: APA, MLA, and Chicago. Ensure that you cite all sources and compose a reference page according to specific formatting requirements . Stick to a particular style from cover to cover; otherwise, a professor may decrease your grade.
If you wonder how a complete thematic assignment looks like, do not hesitate to dive deep into the following extracts attached below. Feel free to use these samples for your reference.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, this writing guide was of great help. But if you need professional academic backing, look no further! Whether you have a tight deadline or aren't sure how to write a thematic essay properly, count on expert essay help. With reliable academic assistance, you can be sure that your paper will be in line with the highest educational standards. Order an essay now and have a top-notch work delivered before the deadline is up.
People Also Ask
A good thesis statement must contain the literary work’s title and author. Besides, you should provide background information on the central theme. As you write a thematic thesis, give a brief overview on how the author reveals this theme in the work.
2. When do I need to write a thematic essay?
As a college student, you will need to write a thematic essay for the US History Regents exam. It’s a mandatory requirement, so make sure that you have carefully read our guide on how to write an A+ thematic essay.
Any book that has a theme would work. Thematic essays are composed to show the central theme of a chosen work through evidence. As clear from the definition, you can even choose a short story or poetry to discuss the main idea. However, picking a book that has a powerful theme and bunch of literary devices would be best of all.
Expect nothing less than a tasty collection of IB extended essays and topics as you read this article.The International Baccalaureate (IB) is a globally recognized educational program established to offer studying opportunities to high-school students. Most applicants mostly choose the IB Diploma Pr...
It isn't as easy as ABC to write an argumentative essay if you don’t know how to write it. Such a paper's critical elements are a balanced evaluation of the problem, robust evidence gathered from credible sources, and a persuasive tone. Doing all the stuff can be pretty time-consuming. However, if y...
Writing a persuasive essay is one of many tasks that students need to perform while studying. You need to know how to write a persuasive essay. One of the primary purposes of such an assignment is to determine the students' writing skills and ability to convince. Other goals include the demonstratio...
How to write a thematic essay + examples
Thematic essays are a common teaching and assessment technique in schools and colleges. They are an excellent way to teach students how to develop a theme, as well as providing a variety of writing assignments for different purposes. Thematic essay can also be used by teachers as assessments of student understanding at the end of each unit or chapter in their textbook.
The three main types of thematic papers include:
- Theme-based essays, which require you to discuss one issue from various perspectives;
- Application-based papers that focus on practical use of what was learned;
- Response-based papers where the student is asked to react or respond to something they have read.
A good thematic essay should cover all three aspects listed above with equal weight given to each.
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What is a thematic essay?
Thematic essay (also known as a theme analysis essay ) is a type of essay that analyzes the themes or underlying messages within a literary work. It does so by examining the way in which the author develops and displays these themes. In order to write a theme analysis essay, it is important to read the text closely, identifying what are the central ideas or recurring patterns.
This kind of academic essay writing , consists in analysing or arguing in favor of or against some statement, claim, idea, theme , proposal, thesis , question etc. The thematic essay is to be based on a specific topic which the student must choose himself/herself and no one else can do it for him/her.
Themes are often revealed through an author’s diction, word choice, use of figurative language, repetition, imagery and other devices. Themes include messages about human nature that authors want to communicate through their work. Analyzing thematic elements helps readers to better understand how a writer communicates ideas in their work. Theme analyses are therefore often used to study many literary works, including
- short stories
Not only can themes provide the basis for analyzing a piece of literature, but they also can help readers understand themselves and the world around them better.
A thematic essay is mostly a free-form essay based on a predetermined topic. Like other essays, thematic essays have an introduction, body and conclusion which are typically defined by the teacher who assigns the essay.
Although examples of this type of essay can be found in many collections of literary criticism or as literature course papers for certain classes at most colleges and universities, there is no consensus as to what defines a thematic essay.
Thematic essays are often used as benchmark tests for evaluating reading, writing and analytical skills. They can also be used in a teaching capacity to determine whether an incoming freshman has the requisite knowledge of literary devices or as a means for assessing a student’s ability to analyze literature.
Structure of a thematic essay
The structure of a thematic essay depends on length, topic and how in-depth you want the analysis to be. As far as essay structure goes, it’s best to use a general outline that will help guide you throughout the writing process.
Introductory paragraph:
A good introductory paragraph includes a thesis statement and sets up what will be discussed further in the body paragraphs . This can be followed by one or more paragraphs devoted to each part of your argument .
Body paragraphs:
Your argument may take several different forms, which can depend upon the kind of thematic essay you’re writing. If multiple pieces of evidence are used, a paragraph may be devoted to each one.
If you are writing some sort of analysis or interpretation of the text, you could devote one body paragraph to analyzing each theme presented in the book and how it reflects society as a whole. You might also want to include a final concluding paragraph that sums up everything discussed earlier and restates your thesis statement to make certain all points have been considered by the reader.
Conclusion:
In this last part of your essay , you need to reinforce what has already been said and help readers understand what they have learned from your previous statements. This is also where you can pose new questions or suggest ideas for future research based on what was previously stated to get readers thinking about other topics that fit within the boundaries of this theme. Using quotations, paraphrasing, and summarizing are all good ways to reinforce your ideas and provide a sense of closure for the piece.
5 paragraph theme analysis essay
Here are some guidelines for crafting your own 5 paragraph theme analysis essay :
- Paragraph 1 – The introduction makes an assertion about how something affects society, either positively or negatively. This paragraph should include examples from the text that relate to your argument.
- Paragraph 2 – 4 – These may include further examples or evidence from the text that support claims made in paragraph one. Each of these paragraphs should follow the same pattern of introduction, development and conclusion.
- Concluding paragraph – This final paragraph summarizes what was discussed previously and restates the thesis statement to make certain all points have been considered by the reader.
Thematic essay outline
A thematic essay outline can be very useful when students are working on essays. The thematic essay outline structure can help students develop their ideas and encourage them to think about their writing in a more organized way.
A thematic analysis is an essay that identifies themes, patterns of occurrence, or the main topic and how it applies to particular objects or situations.
For example, if you were writing about your family members, you could create a theme by choosing just one of those members (your father) and write about him using that single word (honesty). This would be considered a complete them analysis.
When to use a thematic outline
Thematic essays have several purposes, such as analyzing an idea or subject in depth. They can also be used to compare two subjects side by side, and place emphasis on the differences and similarities between the two subjects. Using a thematic analysis is one way for students to organize and think about their writing before actually sitting down to write their essay.
Another purpose of this style of writing is to point out how certain ideas connect with each other and may interact throughout something larger than themselves, such as a novel or work of art.
For example, you could examine how different literary works all have similar themes running through them.
As another example, you could write your essay about how the themes of racism and racial discrimination are apparent in both the movie “12 Years a Slave” and the book “To Kill a Mockingbird.”
Remember that your professor probably expects you to have some knowledge or understanding of what is being analyzed, so make sure you do your research before beginning your thematic essay.
You may want to begin with an outline, which can help aid you in identifying the main points of your argument as well as give you structure for writing your paper. The theme should be clearly evident throughout all parts of your paper.
Other elements such as organization, evidence, examples and transitions are also important when writing this type of essay.
In order to more effectively analyze these elements, it can be helpful to formulate a thematic outline. It’s not uncommon for students to have a difficult time creating this type of essay due to the need for extensive research, so it can be especially helpful to have an organized plan to work with as you begin writing an essay .
You should also note that even though most thematic essays are based on some sort of word theme or idea, your thesis statement does not necessarily need to consist of just one single word.
A lot will depend upon the topic and how much depth is required in discussing it. You may wish to take into account how many words will best capture the main point and convey your overall argument when revising your thesis statement .
There are several different types of thematic analysis essay topics that can help spark ideas or provide inspiration for writing.
For example, you might choose a theme or topic that is controversial and try to understand what both sides of the story feel about the particular issue being studied.
Another type of thematic essay could explore what something means in terms of its overall effect on people as well as how it affects their lives. One way to write this type of essay would be to examine how life has been impacted by an event or object, such as a war, famine or natural disaster.
A biographical thematic essay can focus on someone’s personality and life choices; however, other types of essays may also provide insight into that person which can help the reader gain further understanding about his motives and intentions.
Using several different examples or pieces of evidence that address main points is a good way to make your argument clear and easy for the reader to follow.
An example of a thematic essay topic could be ” How does the theme of love affect the novel “Wuthering Heights?”
The most important part of any kind of thematic analysis essay is examining how it affects or influences society in general, which means that you should provide solid evidence , support your ideas with appropriate examples and use proper transitions – both within paragraphs and when moving from one paragraph to another.
Here is an example of how to write a thematic essay outline :
- Introduce the theme
- Describe how the theme is represented in different texts from a variety of genres, time periods, or cultures
- Provide an interpretation for why this theme is important to explore and what it tells us about human nature
- Discuss why this topic has remained relevant over time and what its significance will be in the future
- Conclude by summarizing your argument and proposing new avenues for exploring this idea further.
How to write a thematic essay
A thematic essay is a topic-based essay that usually has a more specific focus than a standard research paper. They can often take the form of an argumentative essay or persuasive essay , but they don’t need to. They’re typically used in high school English classes and sometimes in college courses as well.
In order to help you be as successful as possible with this type of assignment, here are some tips and steps that will help you get started.
Topic Selection
Choose a topic based on your own opinion, experience, and/or point-of-view. You’re not just going to be arguing for or against something; with a thematic essay , you’ll need to develop a well-reasoned argument supported by relevant evidence.
Develop strong thesis statement
Make sure that you develop a strong thesis/argument in your introduction. You’re probably familiar with the standard five-paragraph essay format, which includes an introductory paragraph followed by three body paragraphs and then a closing paragraph. With these kinds of essays, the first and last paragraphs are usually straightforward: The opening paragraph (the one right after the introduction itself) typically introduces the topic in more detail while the concluding paragraph summarizes what’s been said in order to wrap things up neatly before moving on to other topics…but it doesn’t necessarily have to be this way. That is, you don’t always have to introduce or conclude your argument within a particular place or part of your; you can actually have your conclusion appear anywhere within the body of your essay, provided that it works.
Brainstorm Ideas
Pay careful attention to developing a consistent and coherent argument in every paragraph. In fact, if you’re going to write an argumentative or persuasive essay on a thematic topic, then all paragraphs should serve as part of your overarching argument. To do this, each paragraph needs to have one point (which will become clearer once you choose either pro or con for your thesis/argument). It’s important that each paragraph be completely relevant to the main idea that you plan to discuss in relation to the topic; otherwise, it won’t really fit with everything else and may start to feel like filler text (or worse).
Create an outline
Organize your ideas in an outline format. Once you’ve figured out which side of the argument you want to take, it’s important to go back and organize these ideas so that they can be presented in a logical way. At this point, organizing your thoughts should probably feel like it’s not all that different from organizing information for any other kind of essay—just make sure you include all relevant details and examples within each paragraph and don’t get off track by writing something too long or tangential.
Include examples
Include lots of specific examples and details to help reinforce your argument. The best thing about thematic essays (as opposed to just basic research papers) is the fact that they allow for a lot of explanations and examples to be included within the argument. This allows you to give your paper a more personal feel by explaining what you know from firsthand experience, which may actually help you come across as less like an intellectual robot (the good kind).
Proper referencing
Include citations when necessary—and use MLA format correctly . You probably don’t need to worry about citation format too much with most other types of essay assignments, but it can be pretty important for thematic essays. Why? Well, you never really know whether or not someone is going to take issue with your arguments; if so, then they’ll probably expect specific sources from which those arguments have been drawn. So make sure that when using any outside source information that you cite it accordingly, either in-text or via a Works Cited page.
Proofread twice.
Just as you should with any other kind of essay assignment, proofread your thematic essay carefully and with a sharp eye for grammar and spelling errors before submitting the final draft to your professor. Since this type of paper relies so much on its argumentative structure and clarity, it’s important that there be absolutely nothing else distracting from these things; all typos, grammatical errors, run-on sentences/fragments, etc., can serve as distractions (even if they’re minor ones), which may cause your reader to lose interest or focus on something that may not really be all that relevant.
Don’t get discouraged; ask for help .
Everyone has moments where they feel like their writing isn’t coming out right or that an argument isn’t all that convincing. That’s nothing to worry about, just make sure you talk to your teacher and explain what’s going on so he/she can tell you how to improve the paper based on the assignment requirements. Ultimately, thematic essays are a lot of fun if you know what’s expected of you as far as structure goes; otherwise, they’ll turn out kind of bland. But with the right amount of effort put into making sure your points are solid and organized in a way that makes sense logically—not to mention plenty of examples—you should be able to write a great paper that’ll get you an A. Just don’t forget to do everything on this list, and you’re set!
What are the three parts of a theme essay?
The three parts of a theme essay are the body, the introductions and transitions, and the conclusion. When writing a theme analysis essay, you need to first analyze the work. After reading the work, you should write about what it is generally about and why it was written in that way. Then you’ll have a chance to analyze specific aspects of the work before finally concluding with your thoughts on the work as a whole.
How to write a theme analysis essay
If you’re writing high school or college thematic essays, your teacher may assign a certain book, article or story. When this is the case, the most important thing for you to do will be reading the assignment carefully and making notes about its author’s use of theme. After you’ve read it once, go ahead and highlight passages that seem to be especially relevant — those are going to be good places for you to cite while writing your paper. The more often you re-read the work as you’re preparing your outline and draft, the more likely it is that details will stick with you when it comes time to write. Once you have chosen an analytical approach (see below), think about how your approach, and the works you cite as support, will connect to the paper’s body paragraphs.
What are some tips for writing a good thematic analysis essay conclusion?
A thematic analysis essay conclusion serves two purposes:
- It helps to bring together all of the information that was stated earlier in the paper;
- It gives your readers something to think about going forward.
To write a great ending for your theme analysis essay, simply try to build on the tone that you’ve established throughout your paper.
Make sure that you’re linking up all of the different threads that have been discussed, and try to finish on a high note.
Use of theme analysis essay in college
When assigning thematic assignments teachers are encouraged to provide students with topics that will challenge the student while not being so difficult as to discourage honest attempts at completing the assignment. Themes that fit this description include:
There is some controversy regarding what should be considered when grading these types of essays. In general, teachers look for “how well does an essay answer the question – and how well do you respond with evidence from your sources?” But what constitutes evidence can vary. Teachers who assign thematic essays are advised to clarify what constitutes evidence in their assignments. Some teachers would want students to provide quotes from the work in lieu of paraphrasing while others would not consider direct quotes as acceptable.
There are many different thoughts on what makes for a proper or successful thematic essay, but most would agree that the following list is important:
Thematic essays can also be adapted for use with college-level freshmen and sophomores by changing the required length of essay (1200 words instead of 500). With this change, they can better serve as a diagnostic tool for incoming freshman such that teachers will get an idea about how well students will perform in literature courses at their institution.
A general rule of thumb for completing an essay is one page per point made (though there are exceptions). This means that if a teacher gives four questions, the paper should be at least 4 pages long.
Theme analysis essays have distinct advantages over traditional papers in that they encourage students to think more creatively and develop their own thesis rather than just proving one provided by the instructor. The following example shows how a teacher might ask a student to analyze three works on the same theme: love.
With this type of assignment, it can be expected that many different ideas will be brought to light and students will learn about literature from perspectives they may not have considered before attempting the essay. It also allows teachers to observe whether students’ writing styles change depending on what they are writing about.
Another benefit of thematic essay assignments is that they encourage students to explore literature on their own time and allow students to think beyond the constraints of what a teacher might choose. Additionally, it allows teachers to step into the role of “guide” rather than “sage on the stage.” Students who have an interest in a theme can ask questions about it or bring up examples from outside texts – knowing full well that their instructor has no objection whatsoever to such an approach.
Thematic essays can be used as a curriculum supplement by challenging students with specific themes over a series of class sessions. This would also help prepare students for when they enter college courses where thematic units are almost always found early in the syllabus. They can also be used to introduce students to a new topic in literature. Rather than providing an introduction through textbook readings or lecture, thematic essay assignments encourage students to explore on their own and possibly gain insights into topics they would have otherwise not considered.
In high school, timed writing assignments provide an extra incentive for completing a paper on time. Teachers can assign thematic essays for a similar effect if they have access to online grades. Completion of thematic essay assignments would then be included in any high school students’ overall assessment grade.
Thematic essay assignments are likely to be helpful for students who have trouble with traditional paper writing or are completely new to the process of critical analysis. However, they could present a problem if students do not like branching out into other topics and therefore struggle with thematic essays that ask them to do so. In those cases, teachers can provide an alternative assignment where students can write about their favorite work on a specific theme and explain why it fascinates them so much.
Thematic essay example 1:
Below is an illustrated essay of a thematic essay example on the theme of crime. Follow how the essay is written to write a custom essay for school.
Introduction of Essay:
So what does it mean when someone says we live in a “free society”? We all know there are laws that must be obeyed for us to survive as an individual; but is something wrong if you break these laws? Crime is an issue in America today because one person breaks the law while another person watches with their hands tied behind their backs. Will this continue to occur until nothing is left but a bunch of criminals? In my opinion, yes! Crime has been a part of society for many years. However, since the beginning of time, crime rates have never declined. If anything, they continue to grow and affect our daily lives more and more each year. Therefore, there must be solutions to help decrease crime rates in our communities .
Thesis statement:
My goal is to examine the way crime has become an issue in our society today, taking into account what effects it has on people’s lives, and how we can create solutions to decrease crime rates in our communities. I will explore both national and international examples of crime rates, and analyze the reasons why crime rates are so high. I am also going to identify how major catastrophes have caused crime rates to increase, and explain why some people are more vulnerable than others. In addition, I plan on discussing several solutions that may help to decrease crime and create a safer environment in our world.
Body Paragraph 1:
Crime is an issue because one person breaks the law while another person watches with their hands tied behind their backs. Will this continue to occur until nothing is left but a bunch of criminals? Crime has been a part of society for many years; however, since the beginning of time, crime rates have never declined. If anything they continue to grow and affect our daily lives more and more each year. Therefore there must be solutions to help decrease crime rates in our communities.
Body Paragraph 2:
How does crime affect our lives? It is a fact that all people are always on the lookout for crimes they may have seen, or been a victim of themselves. Crimes such as rape, murder, theft and many others take control of our minds and scare us into thinking people out there are truly evil. But how do we measure these crimes? if you ask different people this question, chances are you will receive different answers because everyone has their own views on what is right and wrong. I believe that most criminals have no idea what it really means to live with the consequences of breaking laws; however, those who do know exactly what happens when they break the law, are usually repeat offenders.
Body Paragraph 3:
What makes people more vulnerable to commit crimes? There are many reasons why someone may decide to break a particular law; mainly for monetary gain. For example, if you are in a state of poverty and you have children or dependents that cannot afford anything, stealing seems like a good way to feed your family. However, no matter how much money you end up with from doing something illegal it never lasts because sooner or later they will catch you and send you to jail. I often wonder why some of these criminals can still manage to get caught even after they change their identity by either changing their name or moving far away from the place where they committed the crime. I believe these criminals have no fear, because they think they will never get caught; therefore, when they do it just encourages them to continue doing these crimes.
Body Paragraph 4:
How can we reduce crime rates in our communities? I believe that there are many things we can do to help decrease crime rates and make the world more peaceful place for people to live. First of all, parents should teach their children about right from wrong at an early age so that by the time they grow up, they know how to distinguish between what is good and what is bad. Secondly, people need religious guidance in order to learn about God’s laws and commandments. Lastly, every country needs police officers who are committed to protecting our society, and have the heart to be able to stop repeated offenders no matter how small or large their crime may be.
Conclusion Paragraph:
In conclusion, everyone needs to play a part in helping reduce crime rates in our communities and create a safe environment for all citizens. Everyone has the power and freedom to choose between right or wrong; however some people are not educated enough on what is good and bad, which causes them to commit crimes. I believe that one important factor we should take into consideration when creating solutions for reducing crime rates is learning about everyone’s views on what is right or wrong, before taking action so that we can figure out how they think and what they do. Finally by making smart choices such as educating poor families about God’s laws and commandments, teaching our children right from wrong at an early age, helping police officers protect society by putting repeat offenders in jail for good; we can begin to reduce crime rates in our communities.
Thematic essay example 2
There are many reasons why I would recommend the book “what I know for sure”, by Oprah Winfrey. She is one of the most influential women in America today, and has been on television for more than thirty years. This is why there is no surprise that she had incredible success with this nonfiction book. Oprah was born into poverty but rose above it all because of her determination and desire to succeed. The book is inspirational because of her perseverance to become successful and overcome the things that have been put in front of her, such as sexual abuse. However, another reason why I love this book is because it gives an inside view into Oprah’s life.
The book “what I know for sure” by oprah winfrey makes me feel inspired because she tells you about her childhood and how she got to where she is today. Many people admire Oprah because of what she has accomplished in her career; however, they don’t realize how hard it was for her to get there. She struggled through many situations like poverty which gave her a different perspective on life than most other wealthy mothers do not have. For example, when Oprah was six years old, she was sexually abused by a family member. This event shaped the rest of her life and helped her to be more compassionate to all types of people that are going through hard times. Another lesson Oprah had learned at an early age was how it is important to have higher education, because she said that her mother would always tell her how powerful knowledge is. This helps develop one’s self esteem because after receiving an education they will know their value in society as well as their potential.
The book “what I know for sure” also teaches many valuable lessons that everyone can benefit from, such as how life can change in a moment’s notice. For example, when Oprah was ten years old someone close to her took their own life which made her realize how precious life really is. Another lesson that I learned from the book was to be free with your opinions but also respect others for having their own opinions as well. For example, Oprah talks about how she went into a restaurant one time and ordered pancakes and they brought her cornbread instead, which made her extremely uncomfortable. She approached the waiter and expressed that she would not eat the food because of religious reasons. The waiter asked if he could pray with her so she stood up where everybody in the restaurant could see them praying together, then a few minutes later he came back out with real pancakes for Oprah.
In conclusion, there are many positive lessons that can be gained from reading “what I know for sure” by oprah winfrey. My favorite part of the book is when Oprah shares her story about how she overcame sexual abuse and poverty to become one of the most admired women in America today. I highly recommend this book, but be ready for tears because it will make you cry!
I would definitely recommend that everyone read “what I know for sure” by oprah winfrey, because it is an inspirational story written by one of the most successful women in America. The book covers several valuable life lessons from growing up in poverty and overcoming sexual abuse to becoming a famous celebrity on television. Most people think that Oprah has everything figured out, however they don’t realize how many hardships she had to overcome before reaching success. She is one person who knows what their worth and doesn’t settle for anything less. This book is an easy read and has a lot of valuable lessons to teach anyone who reads it. I would recommend this book to my friends because they are just like me, in the sense that we have big dreams but sometimes need help figuring out exactly how to make those dreams come true. This book teaches lessons about life; many of which would be great advice if I could give myself as a teenager!
FAQ – Theme Analysis Writing Summary
Here are a summary of the topics and questions asked about theme analysis essays by high school and college students. The points have been lifted above so make sure you read the rest of the guide.
How to start a thematic essay
The first step is to find a theme that you are passionate about. The second step is to research the topic to see if it’s feasible for a paper. The third step is to develop your thesis and outline your points. It should be easy to get started when you have a passion for what you’re writing about.
Once you’ve settled on a topic, the first step is to find a good thesis.
The next thing that you want to do is come up with an outline for your paper. You don’t need to focus on irrelevant aspects of the paper since it will most likely be discarded later anyway. You can keep this as a work in progress and revise it as time goes by. As long as you’re making progress every day, you’ll be able to make something out of it eventually.
If your theme isn’t feasible, then there’s no point in trying too hard to think about writing it down. If people don’t even care about what you have written, then why should they bother reading? You need facts if you want thematic essays to have some sort of impact on people.
If you do manage to find something that people care about, then it’s time to start writing. You will want to make sure that your work makes an impact as soon as possible.
What is a thesis statement in a thematic essay?
Example thesis statement for a thematic essay..
A thesis statement in a thematic essay provides the audience with a way of understanding an interpretation or a discussion.
This paper will explore the history of the theme and how it has been used in the media to portray significant events that occurred in recent years. It will also discuss the different ways in which this theme has been portrayed, and how it has affected our daily lives.
What is a thematic essay for english?
A thematic essay is an essay that focuses on an idea or argument that you are passionate about. It usually tells a story, and you may use quotes in your paper to backup your points. You can either make the theme of the paper really broad, like “family,” or it can be specific, like “nostalgia.”
The key to a good thematic essay is that you need to write about something you are passionate about. If it’s not something that means something to you, then you’ll have a hard time finishing the paper.
So what can be used as an idea for a thematic essay?
The possibilities are endless. You could write about anything from war and peace to technology and computers. However, if your topic isn’t feasible or workable in some way, don’t even bother writing it down. It will accomplish nothing and people won’t care about what you have written anyway. Make sure that whatever theme you choose has enough facts and proof behind it so that people will see why they should care.
You could also read through old books like “The Grapes of Wrath” or “1984.” These classic pieces are still read to this day, and you can see why. If you’re writing a paper on the effects of television, you could use one of these books as a source and compare how people were affected back then with how they are affected now.
How do you choose an idea for your thematic essay? You want to choose something that means a lot to you. This is because if it doesn’t mean anything to you in some way, then it probably won’t work out too well. You should also make sure that the theme is feasible too. It doesn’t matter if no one else cares about what you’ve written down since it won’t leave any sort of impact on them.
Once you come up with a theme for your paper, make sure that it’s something people are passionate about. Don’t choose a topic that has been written about over and over again. Chances are that either nothing will be added to the conversation or it won’t mean anything to anyone anyway. You want people to feel like they’re part of what you have written down too, so leave some room for them to get involved in the conversation as well.
You could also write a paper based on an issue that others care about and use those same facts to show why YOUR point is more important than theirs. It doesn’t matter if their point is different from yours either because there is always another side to every story.
You can write about the issues people have with your point of view or you can write about how others are affected by your theme, so it’s best to be ready for any situation.
The last thing you need to do is make sure that you show a bit of personality in your thematic essay. If the reader doesn’t know where you stand on something, then they won’t know what to think about what YOU have written down either! At least give the readers some insight so they know whether or not they should agree with what you have said.
You should also read through as many other essays as possible. Read things like newspapers and magazines so that you can see how writers express their own opinions. You need to find a way to add your own twist and personality to the paper so that other people feel like they can connect with you too.
Thematic essay writing help
Do you need help writing a theme analysis essay for college?
When writing a theme analysis essay , it is often difficult to identify the main issue. One of the key skills you must develop in order to write an excellent theme analysis essay is identifying various issues contained within the text. A writing a theme analysis essay revolves around an examination of what the author’s message was for their work and how that message relates to real life situations as well as social and cultural phenomena. It also involves paying attention to other key elements of literature such as characters (both major and minor), plot, setting, symbols, tone etc.
A professional writer will help by not only showing you how to analyze a literary piece but also by making suggestions on which themes are best suited for your paper. They will review your paper before it is submitted so that you are sure it meets all of your professor’s requirements. A professional theme analysis essay writing service will make sure that the quality of your paper is top notch so you get good grades on your assignment.
Students who need assistance with their assignments should contact our writers at Tutlance – essay writing help before they hand in an incomplete project. Our team can help finish off whatever is left so that students don’t get any of the consequences that come with not following standards.
Our writers help students throughout all stages of writing for thematic essay , including brainstorming, creating drafts and revisions. Our academic writing experts have extensive knowledge in English language and literature as well as publishing experience. They are also familiar with most professors’ guidelines which ensure that each paper is completed according to proper standards so there are no problems when the assignment is submitted. Tutlance essay writers offers guaranteed services so students aren’t wasting their money!
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How to Write a Thematic Essay
By: Tasha Kolesnikova
What is a Thematic Essay
Take help from your experience, make internet your best, guidance from other literature pieces, summarize the literature, pick the most prevalent subject, overall significance, tips for choosing the best themes for thematic essays, theme essay outline and draft, introduction, body paragraphs, proofreading and taking advice, belief systems, global regents thematic essay, literary theme paper example, thematic essay introduction example, thematic essay main body, theme essay conclusion.
Thematic essays deal with major themes or topics in a society or a country. As a result, they allow students to get aware of what's going on and provide their voice. Additionally, the arguments presented in the essay may have significance in real life. Therefore, theme essays should be a part of every curriculum.
Many students find the thematic essay definition a bit confusing. What does it mean for a written piece to be thematic?
In this type of essay, you will be required to develop a central theme. Do you remember the words "foreshadowing" "imagery," "personification"? You will be using these to analyze the central theme of the piece of writing you have chosen. Along with the literary devices, you will be proving your interpretations and logical arguments. Let us now move to the outline that you must follow to develop an essay that surpasses your professor's expectations.
Thematic essays work with a social theme of importance. The author uses several literary techniques like metaphors and imagery to get across their point. Additionally, the author explores the theme in-depth and tries to make a general statement. They also highlight a specific issue that should be addressed, backed by the findings of the author.
Authors try to pick a theme that is relevant to society or the present times. They may also present recommendations to deal with the issue for a better future.
Best of all, theme essays allow you to explore the different nuances of culture and society. Therefore, writing the essay also enriches the knowledge of the author.
Thematic essays are generally graded on rubrics.
Theme Essay Steps
To write an excellent thematic essay, choosing a theme plays a crucial part. For this type of essay, some college students tend to go with a vast theme, that shifts the entire paper's focus. On the contrary, some select a particular direction. This is problematic because finding information becomes challenging this way, So, how do you come up with an ideal topic? Here are a few ways you can tackle this challenge.
As a student, you might have had opportunities of working on different types of essays. If you ever worked with a topic suitable for here, utilize it. By doing so, you will save time that would have been spent on additional research, and you will be more educated regarding the route to take. Find relevant notes, pull up saved links, anything beneficial for the essay.
Internet is an excellent source to get your ideal hands-on topics. If you lack the experience and are looking forward to coming up with a theme on your own, this is the next best alternative. However, make sure the topic you select has enough content on it. Also, the resources are authentic and credible.
List down the best literature pieces according to you. Next, skim through each of them. You never know; this might provide you enough inspiration to come up with your idea.
Pick a Central Theme
As stated previously, uncovering the central theme and main subject is the first building block of your thematic paper. Follow the steps below to prevent any mistake in the choosing process:
Identify what the author is trying to convey. Chances are, it will be repeatedly mentioned throughout. All you need to do is stay vigilant and not miss out on the hints that come along the way. It is no rocket science.
First, you need to understand the difference between a theme and a subject. A subject makes up the general topic on which the entire conversation is based. On the other hand, a theme is more of a specific point, and the author tries to establish the subject. This forms the focal point of your essay.
This will be the overall significance of academic writing. What can a reader take away from the essay? What can be applied to personal lives? In short, the lesson learned from this.
Count on your personal experience: A theme that resonates in your life will make the best essay . You are likely to go into depth as the issue affects your lifestyle.
Note down your ideas: Some ideas that come to your mind may seem useless. However, note down every idea as they may seem important at the latest. Additionally, these trivial ideas can give rise to more relevant ideas.
Explore contemporary literature: Reading current literature may give you ample ideas for thematic essays. Additionally, you can use the cues from their essays on themes to strengthen your arguments.
Stay updated on the latest trends: Themes that affect society don't stay the same. At one time, the industrial revolution transformed the world. However, it is not that relevant today in the world of artificial intelligence. Therefore, stay updated on the latest news and trends to choose the most relevant topics.
Look at issues that affect you: This is the best way to choose a topic for a theme essay. You are going to perform well if you take up a theme that impacts your daily life, like waste management.
Your aim has to be creative and vigilant while writing. This is important so that you do not miss out on crucial details. Thus, starting from a draft makes perfect sense. You will always need to go back and revise your work once you are done. Never consider your first copy to be your last. Outline and follow it throughout. A template is okay as well.
One critical piece of advice here is to keep checking your transitions and the flow of the essay. Often, students tend to treat each paragraph as a mini-essay and forget that they have to be cohesive with each other. Excessive wordiness and expression of emotion should be avoided. The tone while drafting this should be neutral. Do not be very formal or informal. It would help if you sounded respectful and sincere.
Thematic Essay Structure and Format
Essay outline should stick to a structure or format for the best results. It also allows the reader to get the vital information quickly and give your essay more importance.
Below is a format you can implement for your thematic essay:
An essay starts with an introduction . The first sentence of the thematic essay introduction paragraph should be as captivating and interesting as possible. It is your first chance to make a good impression on the reader and to catch their attention. This section should highlight background information and all the significant points of the essay. Try being strategic while devising this section. Use practical tools like a dash of humor or start by posing an engaging question. Stating a surprising and exciting fact is also an excellent way to encourage the readers to stay glued to your work. With that said, do not make this paragraph very lengthy. It has to be concise and deliver the main idea about your essay. The last line of your intro paragraph has to be a thematic thesis statement. This is the argument you will be proving throughout your essay. Therefore, don't change the wording of your hypothesis.
This is the essay's main body, where you will be conducting a detailed discussion of the novel's central theme or issue. You will be developing your argument, providing analysis and supporting justifications. Remember that you shouldn't give any baseless sweeping statements as it will weaken your stance and the overall quality of your writing. Keep a checklist of main points so that you don't miss any. Subheadings can come in handy in a theme essay. They will make your content less cluttered. Keep all of the paragraphs of equal length. Start each one with a topic sentence and refrain from adding multiple ideas in a single thematic paragraph. This will help you in producing a quality paper. You can find numerous samples of thematic essays on a writing service website. Please go through them in case you have any confusion.
You may use two, three, or four paragraphs in your body without any problems. However, don’t add unnecessary information to make your essay longer.
Your body should contain the following things like a topic sentence. However, you should state only facts and refrain from presenting your own opinions. Additionally, you can mention names, dates, places, and other information backed by evidence.
Additionally, be descriptive about the points you are presenting in your essay. Moreover, analyze the facts to make the readers make sense of what you want to say.
Most importantly, evaluate the key points in detail. They will go a long way to prove or disprove your hypothesis. Additionally, you should also give examples to elaborate on the points you are presenting in your essay.
One tip is to not overthink your theme thesis. Go over the examples you have included in your essay and pick the best one to explain your hypothesis.
Additionally, you should keep examples simple and use transitory phrases to ensure a smooth flow for a good thematic essay.
After discussing all of the points on how to write a theme paragraph, it's now time for a closing ceremony; keep your essay conclusion crisp and short. Do not give additional arguments or add points that you might have missed earlier. Remember, it must be glued to your content. So, ensure that your content is smooth and has a logical conclusion at the end.
Moreover, your conclusion gives you the power to create robust arguments. You can bring a logical closure to your essay and make your opinion stand out. However, don’t just state the themes again but focus on their analyses and impacts. Moreover, include all the vital arguments in your conclusion. You may even suggest steps to resolve the issue or provide recommendations.
After you are finished with the writing part, you will conduct a two-step reviewing and editing process. First, go through the content and make the necessary changes while cross-checking it with the rubric provided to you by your professor. Next, ask your classmate or a friend to read your essay about themes. Ask them if any part is lacking evidence or if you haven't made a point clear. You can also consult your teacher. They can guide you in case any primary or secondary argument is missing. Since they have read the material or will be familiar with the theme, they can also point out the areas you have forgotten or are worth discussing more. So, this phase is all about making your argument robust and paper detailed. Do not be shy or stingy when adding a lot of points. You can always go back and remove them. It is the "adding" part that is the hardest.
Here is a list that you should keep in front of you are done writing a thematic essay:
- Do not include text that is not making any contribution to your stance;
- Avoid using complicated words;
- Refrain yourself from exaggerating;
- Do not use long sentences;
- Do not submit your theme analysis essay without citing the work that you have used to make your argument stronger;
- Please do not submit the paper without reviewing it twice;
- Make sure that you have used the correct paper structure;
- Run your work through grammar and plagiarism checking software;
- Check the formatting.
Thematic Essay Topics - Choose the Themes Wisely
To give you some inspiration, here are some English thematic topics related to different subjects:
- Is the death penalty ethical? Should it be allowed?
- Can people carry handguns?
- Class fellows make a considerable impression on a child's success in school life.
- Childhood years are the most crucial years of a person's life.
- Video games are good for mental health.
- A person must always consult others for critical decision making.
- Is divorce a solution to marital problems?
- Women should stay at home and should work.
- The role of a political system in a society.
- The changed meaning of philosophy.
- Can an individual control unconscious thinking?
- The roles of Men and Women in society.
- The role of Materialistic values in the modern era.
- Human rights in the 21st century.
- The issue of slavery in America.
- The era of civil war.
- Facts and events of the most critical century in American history.
- Industrialization in the US.
- Periods of the Cold War.
- Then vs. now: modern America.
- The US and the Muslim countries.
- US- Russia relations.
- International organizations.
- UN and USA.
- What is the main idea behind the poem "The Road not taken" by Robert Frost?
- Which themes did Bernard Shaw highlighted in his novel "Arms and the man"?
- What does John Steinbeck mean when he talks about loneliness and isolation in Of Mice and Men?
- What are the themes highlighted in the novel "the great gatsby"?
- Harper Lee discusses "innocence" in the novel To Kill A Mockingbird; what does she mean by it?
Examples on How to Write a Theme Essay
Let’s say we have chosen the theme work from home for our thematic essay. Therefore, your introduction will describe how remote working has become a norm across the world. You will cite statistics, like 70% of the global workforce wants to work from home for a few days of the week. Or many companies have embraced a hybrid working model.
In addition, you will present your hypotheses, such as work from home will stay even if the pandemic goes away. However, you should collect enough information and facts to prove your hypothesis and make it sound. A good theme essay example should thoroughly explain the topic.
Your main body should support your hypothesis. Therefore, it is necessary to present facts and figures that prove your point. For example, research shows working from home can boost the productivity of individual employees.
Additionally, the workforce finds it easy to maintain an optimum work-life balance. Moreover, businesses also save on costs like overheads when they allow remote work.
Most importantly, remote work reduces the stress of daily commute to work. It also lets employees work at their convenience without compromising time.
With some research, you will find ample statistics to show the benefits of remote work.
The conclusion of your thematic essay provides an opportunity to sum up your arguments. You can express how remote working benefits both organizations and employees. Additionally, modern employees prefer flexible working models to balance work and life. These arguments show that working from home is a viable choice for businesses around the world. It can improve performance, reduce costs, and allow businesses to achieve their objectives.
Lastly, you may end your essay with the references you used to make your arguments. You should also use citations for numbers and figures in your essay based on your college’s requirements.
Now that you have gotten familiar with the themes and the essay outline, you will not spend hours on every step. Just drink some hot cocoa, open up this article, and get started!
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How to Write a Theme Essay
Last Updated: February 6, 2023 References Approved
This article was co-authored by Jake Adams . Jake Adams is an academic tutor and the owner of Simplifi EDU, a Santa Monica, California based online tutoring business offering learning resources and online tutors for academic subjects K-College, SAT & ACT prep, and college admissions applications. With over 14 years of professional tutoring experience, Jake is dedicated to providing his clients the very best online tutoring experience and access to a network of excellent undergraduate and graduate-level tutors from top colleges all over the nation. Jake holds a BS in International Business and Marketing from Pepperdine University. There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, several readers have written to tell us that this article was helpful to them, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 192,827 times.
Starting the Essay
- For example, an essay prompt may ask you to reflect on the theme of good versus evil in John Steinbeck's East of Eden .
- Make a list of everything you know about the topic. This can be information you learned in class, as well as information you found on your own.
- Write down keywords or key scenes in the text that respond to the essay prompt. Think about what words or scenes from the text come to mind when you think of a specific theme.
- For example, when you brainstorm ideas on East of Eden , you may write down any moments in the text that seem to speak to the theme of good and evil.
- Your thesis statement will need to address the theme, your primary example or examples, and the stance you will take on the topic.
- For example, your thesis might be: "In East of Eden , John Steinbeck rejects the Biblical idea of good and evil and instead focuses on the contradictions and complications found in good and evil."
- Introduction: Discuss landscape as metaphor, include thesis statement.
- Body: Describe mountains in opening scene, elaborate on how they symbolize good vs. evil, state how characters live between the mountains, showing how people are caught between good and evil.
- Conclusion: Restate thesis statement, return to landscape as metaphor.
Writing Your Essay
- Questions can make fun hooks for the reader. Ask a rhetorical question that relates to the theme of the essay, such as "How does one decide what is good and what is evil?"
- You can also use a quote from the text as the hook. Find a quote in the text that explores the themes and ideas you'll be discussing in your essay.
- For example, you may introduce the role of nature plays in the text to discuss the theme of good and evil. The first sentence of your body paragraph should discuss the role of nature. This will set up the paragraph and let the reader know what the focus of the paragraph will be.
- For example, you may discuss the use of nature in the text in one paragraph. The body of the paragraph should then use quotes and scenes in the text to support this idea.
- You might write,"The descriptions of the Gabilan Mountains in the text symbolize good and evil. The characters in the story live in the Salinas Valley, trapped in a gray area between these two extremes."
- Ask yourself, "What do I want my readers to have learned through this essay?"
- Remind readers about the essay's theme. Reference some of the arguments you made in the body of your essay, reinforcing how they support your original point.
Revising Your Essay
- Check that there are transitions between paragraphs. Look at the beginning of each paragraph to make sure they all flow well together.
- Print out your paper and proofread it. Oftentimes, errors are easier to catch on paper. If you can't print out your paper, try changing the size or type of the font. Anything that alters how the work looked when you wrote it can help alert you to errors. [13] X Trustworthy Source University of North Carolina Writing Center UNC's on-campus and online instructional service that provides assistance to students, faculty, and others during the writing process Go to source
- Be open to constructive feedback from friends and peers. This will only improve the essay and ensure it is at its best when you turn it in.
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- ↑ Jake Adams. Academic Tutor & Test Prep Specialist. Expert Interview. 20 May 2020.
- ↑ https://penandthepad.com/write-essay-theme-book-2200.html
- ↑ https://wts.indiana.edu/writing-guides/how-to-write-a-thesis-statement.html
- ↑ https://www.grammarly.com/blog/essay-outline/
- ↑ https://www.grammarly.com/blog/how-to-write-a-hook/
- ↑ https://libguides.newcastle.edu.au/how-to-write-an-essay/conclusion
- ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/the_writing_process/proofreading/steps_for_revising.html
- ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/the_writing_process/proofreading/proofreading_suggestions.html
- ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/editing-and-proofreading/
About This Article
When writing a theme essay, you’ll need to explore a given theme in the text you’re studying. Before you start your essay, brainstorm some notes about your theme, which you can then build your essay from. For example, if you have the theme of good and evil, think about which characters are mostly good or evil, any good or evil actions they take, description that uses light and darkness, and any religious context. In your intro, state your thesis, which should summarize your essay’s main argument. Then, choose 4 or 5 examples of your theme and write a paragraph exploring each one. Make sure you support your points with quotes from the text. In your conclusion, link your ideas back to your thesis statement. For more tips from our English co-author, including how to revise your essay to polish it up, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No
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How to Write a Thematic Essay – Become a God of Writing
What is a thematic essay?
A thematic essay is a type of essay where the writer develops the main theme in literature using particular literary devices like personification, imagery, metaphor, and so on. The significance of the theme should be expressed by the writer. The main challenge for writing this type of essay is that each writer has his or her own interpretation of the central theme. In any case, a good thematic essay should include logical arguments supported with literary devices.
How to write a thematic analysis essay in 6 steps
- Prepare for writing . Find the source material that you are going to use (such as abstracts of read literature, recording the results of discussions, or your own considerations about the theme). It is important to process the available source material (its organization, reasoning, and arguments) in the proper way.
- Take notes when reading. When you are taking notes, you pay attention (after making the appropriate decision) to those moments that are key (literary devices in our case). While making notes, you select the relevant material and develop your understanding of literary devices which are used.
- Write an introduction. It should include a summary of your understanding and approach to the answer to the question. It is very useful to cover what you intend to do in the essay (your goals), and how you are going to analyze the theme. Presenting literary devices themselves should be given in the main part of your essay. Write a thesis statement that will grab the reader’s attention.
- Write the main section. This part assumes the development of your analysis. This consists of the main content of your essay, and this is the main difficulty: you have to substantiate (logically, using examples) the analysis you are proposing. Filling the sections with your analysis, limit within the paragraph the consideration of one main idea.
- Write a conclusion. The final part of the essay may include a brief summary of your analysis, but try to make it very brief. Don’t include any new information in your conclusion. Restate the thesis statement that you have included in the introduction. Summarize the main claims from your body paragraphs.
- Edit the essay. Reviewing the first draft is of great importance to writing an essay. When writing a draft, your main task is to develop analysis, refine the basic ideas, and arrange them in a strict sequence, accompanying them with examples. After writing the first draft, leave it for a day or two, and then go back to work on checking and improving, with a fresh mind. When checking, first of all, pay attention to the strength of your analysis. Does the essay you completed coincide with your intentions you had before writing? Is it coherent and convincing? Are the examples used enough?
Thematic essay sample
You, apparently, want to get a good grade for your thematic essay, and a sample can help you with that. We want to present you a thematic essay sample on relationships between a human and a dog in the novel “The Call of the Wild.” Get some ideas from it if you want to write a quality paper and get a good grade.
How Is the Relationship Between Human and Dog Presented in the Novel The Call of the Wild ?
Connected Feelings
Dog is man’s best friend. This is considered a cliché because we all know the “uses” of dogs in our lives. They can be guard dogs, hunting dogs, herding dogs, guide dogs, and police dogs (“Dog”). Clearly, it is not different with what Buck’s responsibilities are. Normally, humans return the devotion with friendship. But is the friendship offered by the owner enough in return for the adoration a dog gives? In the story Call of the Wild , a human showed that we, people, can give more than just friendship and companionship.
At the start of the story, we can see the importance of Buck to Judge Miller’s family was not simply as a pet to be pampered but more likely to be a reliable companion and protector. Buck and his father Elmo were consistent hunters and protectors of the residence. No wonder they were treated well, resulting in good experiences for Buck with men. Unfortunately, one life-changing experience showed him of the fiercer way of life.
We see how the people treated dogs ruthlessly. They forced dogs to pull heavy weight despite their tiredness and the cold weather. Dogs were not compensated enough with sleep and food even though they worked hard throughout the day.
Heaven came to Buck and his mates when they met their savior through the personality of John Thornton. For the first time, he experienced a passionate love he never felt from his former owner Judge Miller. Thus, Buck returned to his master Thornton with total devotion. However, one day, Thornton died. With a devastated and broken heart, Buck took his revenge for his master and then joined a pack of wolves. Despite his new wild life, he always returns to the place where Thornton died to mourn for his one-of-a-kind, loving master.
At the end of the story, we can see that time and death never became a hindrance for the dog to show his connected feelings with his master. Indeed, loyalty is not the only thing a dog can give. The dog can also shower its owner with unconditional love and adoration. It is no wonder that Robert Wagner, an American actor, quoted, “A dog will teach you unconditional love. If you can have that in your life, things won’t be too bad.”
Works Cited
“Dog.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia, 12 Oct. 2017. Web. 13 Oct 2017, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog London, Jack. The Call of the Wild . 1903. Ibiblio. Web. 14 October 2017, https://www.ibiblio.org/ebooks/London/Call%20of%20Wild.pdf
How to find a central theme
The core of a thematic essay is finding the central theme. Not every student can handle this task. Here are some tips that can help you to choose wisely.
- Think about the core element of the book that you are analyzing. Usually, this is not a problem, as the author makes the core idea clear. To paint a clear picture here, we advise you to take notes. Stay focused in order not to miss important things that may help you to write your essay.
- Differentiate the theme from the subject of the work under analysis. The general topic of the conversation is a subject. For example: love, hate, or brevity. A theme is more specific and is based on the subject.
- To understand what the essence of the essay presents, look at the point that is brought up often in the book.
- Find out what the main point is that the author tries to present. Don’t worry if you can’t see this point immediately.
- One of the most important things is overall significance. Think about how a reader can benefit from the author’s message and what lesson he or she can learn.
Tips for writing a thematic essay
- Have you carefully read the relevant literature (chapters from books and other sources relevant to the theme)? Did you read the question carefully? Have you thought about what the approach will be for writing a thematic essay? These questions should be answered before you start writing your paper.
- You should develop a detailed plan for your writing before you start your work.
- The essay should be written according to the teacher’s requirements and academic rules.
- The introduction should be concise and correspond to the topic.
- You should formulate one clear main question in each paragraph.
- Paragraphs should be presented in logical sequence.
- Your claims and examples should be used effectively.
- Reference to the sources should be presented correctly.
- You should avoid descriptions without analysis.
- The conclusion should be concise and relevant.
- Don’t forget to make a bibliography indicating all reference materials.
- Keep in mind that you should hand in your essay at the appointed time.
How to analyze the prompt
You need to carefully read the teacher’s instructions. You may be faced with the following tasks:
– To discuss. You need to make observations using arguments, logic, statistics, and so on. – To describe. You need to use numerous details to illustrate the topic. – To show. You need to point out something, to state your opinion. – To explain. You need to present things in an understandable manner using reasons and causes.
Mistakes to avoid in writing a thematic essay
- You are unable to answer the question.
- You organize your answer badly.
- You are not able to adhere to the answer to the main question.
- You don’t include enough examples.
- You present too extensive a narrative, which is not backed up by analysis.You state other
- points of view without expressing your own position.
- You repeat your thoughts unnecessarily.
We hope that you get much inspiration to write a thematic essay on your own. Using this guide is the best option to write a quality paper. You can always look for ideas in the samples we present on our site. Having a guide and samples is the simplest and most reasonable way to write a good paper on any topic.
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- Types of Papers
- Explanatory Essay
- How To Write A Thematic Essay With Explanations And Examples
How to Write a Thematic Essay With Explanations and Examples
Thematic essays are common essay assignments in college across all disciplines. Basically, this guide begins with a definition of a thematic essay and provides sample topics for illustration. Next, the manual deconstructs the process of writing a thematic essay. Moreover, the guide covers three core stages of thematic essay writing: preliminary actions, establishing the essay’s foundation, and writing. Finally, the manual presents a sample outline and an example of a thematic essay to demonstrate a real writing situation where a student implements these guidelines of thematic essay writing correctly. Hence, students need to learn how to write a thematic essay.
Definition of a Thematic Essay
A thematic essay is a form of academic writing that requires an author to react to a particular question or theme. In this case, instructors expect students to develop a written reaction to a question or theme by connecting various pieces of information to reach a reasonable conclusion. Moreover, a thematic essay has a high demand for research and a critical examination of subtle relationships that exist between sources. Then, the research process yields a significant amount of information, which learners may use to generate numerous unique logical relationships that lead to rational inferences. Consequently, students may select any set of evidence with a clear, logical association provided that their central claim centers on a theme of interest.
Sample Topics for Thematic Essays
- A pure democracy.
- Privacy rights in the big data age.
- Life in prison and the ex-convict experience.
2. Sociology
- Major parenting issues of the 21 st century.
- Family bonds in immigrant families.
- Escaping the cycle of poverty.
3. Literature
- The significance of a muse.
- Corruption in 18 th century short stories.
- Female authors that left a mark on classical literature.
- Memories of the holocaust.
- Landmines on the modern political landscape.
- The cause of the collapse of Middle East alliances in the 20 th century.
5. Psychology
- Teenage confidence after the emergence of social media.
- The impact of abuse on the formation of relationships.
- The efficacy of proactive counseling.
How Do You Know if Your Paper is Thematic?
A student can readily identify a thematic essay topic because it boldly pronounces a theme but does not hint at any specific point of view. In particular, the primary goal of a topic of a thematic essay is to inform readers of a theme rather than the particular approach of an author, which becomes more apparent in the introductory paragraph. Specifically, a thematic essay topic does not allow students to develop a particular supposition concerning a theme because authors realize that there may be multiple points of view concerning the idea of a thematic essay.
Steps Writing an Effective Thematic Essay
Step 1: preliminary actions, a. define a topic.
The ability of students to define a topic is dependent on the extent to which they understand essay rubric and instructions. Basically, once learners receive thematic essay instructions, they should critically read their prompts to ensure that they comprehend all demands of writing requirements. Then, writers should use keywords from their instructions to develop one or more questions, which represent the expectations of instructors. Based on developed questions, students can create a topic that adequately captures the content of possible responses holistically. Also, authors must consider the information in the instructions, which establishes the leeway that they have in the selection of a topic, for example, choose a topic not covered in-class readings.
B. Identify a Purpose for Writing a Thematic Essay
The procedure of identifying a purpose occurs in two distinct stages: the selection of a general goal and defining a specific purpose. Basically, authors may use a thematic essay to achieve two general purposes: explanation and persuasion. In this case, expectations of instructors influence the choice of the general purpose of a thematic essay to a large extent. After learners pick the general purpose for writing an essay, they should create a specific purpose that shows the particular effect that their papers must have on readers. Mostly, writers generate a specific purpose from questions that represent thematic essay instructions. In turn, the early determination of the purpose is crucial because it affects the students’ approach to research and word choice during drafting.
C. Analyze an Audience
Before writing a thematic essay, students need to determine the characteristics and expectations of readers. Basically, knowledge concerning the characteristics and expectations of the audience is valuable because it allows authors to understand the interaction between the characteristics and attitudes toward a topic, the readers’ level of expertise, and the significance of misconceptions, which aid in selecting the appropriate presentation approach. Specifically, learners can determine the most effective organization patterns, identify the best evidence, and employ an accepted documentation style. Moreover, students ensure that a suitable level of explanation accompanies specialized terms that appear in a thematic essay.
D. Generate Ideas
After learners define the purpose and comprehend the needs and traits of the audience, they begin to develop ideas for the content of a thematic essay. Mostly, thematic essay assignments for a particular subject focus on topics that lecturers discuss in classrooms and other course readings. Consequently, students may generate ideas through brainstorming based on the relevant information from the unit and other related units that they encounter during their schooling. During brainstorming, writers engage in idea mapping and clustering, which enables them to keep track of relationships between ideas.
Step 2: Establishing a Foundation of a Thematic Essay
A. search for sources.
The author’s initial ideas regarding a topic act as the starting point for acquiring credible sources that support and refine those ideas. Basically, contemporary learners engage in electronic searchers to find useful and reliable sources for thematic essays. In this case, students should begin their search on the library’s website, which provides them with material that is reliable for academic writing . Also, library search engines have complex filter functionalities, which make the process of searching for academic sources quite simple. Then, authors turn to open-web searches using Google Scholar or other public search engines that generate a significantly larger number of sources. However, some articles may not be accessible to students. Moreover, the burden of determining the reliability of sources falls on authors when they use open-web search engines. In turn, students rely entirely on keywords or keyword combinations to generate working bibliographies.
B. Evaluate Sources
Working bibliographies undergo an intensive evaluation process to establish whether they meet the necessary quality standards for inclusion in a college-level thematic essay. In this case, the evaluation process involves two primary stages: relevance determination and reliability test. During relevance determination, authors should examine each source by using three criteria:
- The level of attention that the source gives to the topic.
- The suitability of the sources’ sophistication to the purpose and audience’s needs.
- Impact of publication date on the relevance of its information.
Next, the reliability test investigates five critical aspects:
- The origin of the source.
- The level of expertise of authors.
- Biases of a source in the context of existing literature.
- Availability and quality of the evidence supporting the source’s claims.
- Objectivity in the presentation of the author’s claims and handling of evidence.
C. Write an Annotated Bibliography
At this point, the revised working bibliography now contains fewer sources that relevant and reliable. In particular, students should engage in critical reading of all sources on the working bibliography to identify useful pieces of information that they may incorporate into a thematic essay. After reading each source, learners create an annotation that contains a summary of a source, ideas for using this source, and an assessment of this source. Besides the three main elements of an annotated bibliography entry, writers may choose to mention specific pieces of evidence, which are the most significant contributions of a source to a thematic essay. Typically, writers develop an annotated bibliography from notes that they make as they read through a text.
D. Develop an Outline
Based on an annotated bibliography, students create an essay outline . Basically, the content of an annotated bibliography entries allows learners to develop relationships between sources, which is essential because it begins to shape an essay structure . In this case, writers identify and group sources that support a general point, which splits a body of a thematic essay into discernible sections. Then, authors break down each general point into specific points that can exist as a body paragraph and assigns appropriate sources to individual body paragraphs. Furthermore, scholars logically organize particular points and establish some form of flow within each section of a body paragraph. In turn, writers document the organization of general and specific ideas and the distribution of evidence in a list like a format that allows for easy identification of hierarchy.
Step 3: Writing a Thematic Essay
A. design a working thesis.
A student develops a working thesis statement , which presents his or her central claim. Basically, questions that writers derive from assignment instructions and specific minor arguments listed in a thematic essay outline are the main pieces of information that they use to generate a thesis statement. Initially, a working thesis statement may appear as a simple combination of individual responses to assignment questions in the context of the information that forms an outline. However, authors must unite individual answers under a specific inference that demonstrates the significance of a thematic essay. Also, a working thesis statement undergoes multiple revisions, which occur randomly during the writing process.
B. Review an Outline
Once an author forms a working thesis statement, a person subjects an informal outline to a revision that results in the creation of a formal outline for a thematic essay. Basically, body paragraphs of a thematic essay are building blocks for a central claim. Consequently, learners must review an informal outline to ensure that there is an apparent logical build-up to the inference, which they announce in a thesis statement. During this review, students focus on the organization of minor arguments to ensure that body paragraphs contain a single minor idea while maintaining a rational relationship with other body paragraphs. Moreover, a formal outline contains a systematic arrangement where information with the same level of significance or roles have identical indentation or numbering.
C. Select Sources
Based on a formal outline, students make a final assessment of sources for each body paragraph. In particular, a formal outline contains some changes in its organization and the framing of minor arguments of a thematic essay. Also, these changes may affect the relevance of sources to each body paragraph’s argument. Then, the subdivision or merging of minor arguments may cause some sources to become inadequate because they do not extensively cover new minor ideas. Therefore, writers should check the suitability of each source to arguments it supports to ensure that each source provides strong, relevant, and accurate evidence before commencing the drafting process.
D. Draft a Paper
During the drafting stage, authors expand a thematic outline into a complete essay by changing statements and brief notes into coherent paragraphs. Basically, there is no fixed approach to the drafting of a thematic essay because students may start drafting at any point in a thematic essay with the aid of a formal outline. Nonetheless, it is an excellent practice for learners to begin drafting from a paragraph that they understand the best because it ensures that writers waste very little time in trying to overcome the fear of creating the first draft. In turn, scholars should allocate adequate time for drafting.
How to Perfect a Thematic Essay
1. revision, a. self-critic.
After completing the first draft, students undertake a self-conducted revision process, which involves rethinking and rewriting. Basically, the process of revision focuses on the evaluation of the evidence and organization of body paragraphs to ensure that they support a working thesis statement entirely. Further, learners revisit a working thesis statement to refine its wording and the claim its presents. Before starting the revision process, writers should take a break, which allows a brain to reset and attain a higher level of objectivity while revising. Moreover, scholars should use a checklist to reduce the risk of overlooking various crucial thematic essay dynamics during individual revision.
B. Peer Review
The individual revision process identifies the apparent flaws in content presentation, but numerous flaws may go unnoticed due to the authors’ subconscious biases concerning their writing styles . As a result, students should subject their thematic essays to a peer review by a classmate, tutor, parent, or writing center staff. In this case, learners should select a peer reviewer that best represents a member of the target audience. Moreover, authors may provide peer reviewers with a checklist to guide them through the revision process, especially if a person is not an expert editor. Then, students should assign the peer review process adequate time to allow reviewers to carry out the revision task comfortably. In turn, once writers receive feedback from peer reviewers, they consider comments in making the final revision of a paper.
A. Clarity and Effectiveness
The first consideration in the editing process is the clarity and effectiveness of sentences in a thematic essay. Basically, authors should edit each sentence to ensure that statements convey the intended meaning to readers. In this case, it is advisable to focus on six clarity issues, which are the most common in thematic essays: lack of parallelism, dangling modifiers, vague references to pronouns, incomplete sentences, and incorrect separation of sentences. Besides clarity, learners should evaluate the efficacy of each statement separately and as part of a paragraph. In turn, the effectiveness of statements revolves around the smoothness of transitions, conciseness, variability in sentence structure and length, the distinctiveness of the author’s voice, and emphasis on core ideas.
B. Surface Errors
The subsequent stage of the editing process involves editing for surface errors and documentation errors. In particular, students should strive to eliminate all surface errors because they divert the readers’ attention to meaning, although some writing errors do not necessarily change the meaning of sentences. For example, learners can edit surface errors by using six-item criteria: spelling errors, comma splices, sentence fragments, verb errors, punctuation errors, and pronoun errors. Moreover, students should not attempt to conduct clarity and effectiveness editing simultaneously with surface error editing, which may result in poor editing because of the extensive nature of rules governing the English language. In turn, the final step in editing is the correction of any documentation errors while referring to the appropriate style manual.
Sample Outline for a Thematic Essay
I. introduction.
A. Hook sentence. B. Background information. C. Thesis statement.
A. First paragraph
1. The idea for the first paragraph. 2. Evidence supporting this paragraph’s claim. 3. Interpretation and analysis of the evidence.
- First specific deduction from the evidence.
- Second specific deduction from the evidence.
4. A concluding statement that demonstrates the link between the first paragraph’s claim and thesis statement.
B. Second body paragraph
1. The idea for the second paragraph. 2. Evidence supporting this paragraph’s claim. 3. Interpretation and analysis of the evidence.
4. A concluding statement that demonstrates the link between the second paragraph’s claim and thesis statement.
C. Third body paragraph
1. The idea for the third paragraph. 2. Evidence supporting this paragraph’s claim. 3. Interpretation and analysis of the evidence.
4. A concluding statement that demonstrates the link between the third paragraph’s claim and thesis statement.
III. Conclusion
A. Restatement of the thesis statement. B. Summary of the three minor arguments in the body paragraphs. C. Closing remarks emphasizing the significance of the central claim in the context of the three minor arguments.
Commentary on a Thematic Essay Outline
1. identify a central theme.
The audience can determine the central theme of a thematic essay from a thesis statement or an overview of topic statements. Basically, a well-composed thesis statement must explicitly mention the central theme or implicitly hint at the central theme. Alternatively, the audience can read through topic sentences and correctly speculate the central theme of a thematic essay because minor arguments in individual body paragraphs are building blocks of a thesis statement. However, the readers’ ability to identify the central theme from a formal outline is dependent on their pre-existing knowledge concerning a topic because an outline uses statements and annotations with little explanation.
2. Uniqueness
A thematic essay stands out from other types of essays because of the high level of freedom that writers enjoy during authorship. During the writing of a thematic essay, authors can choose any purpose or a combination of purposes to use in different sections of 5 parts of an essay , which is a luxury that argumentative essays and expository essays do not extend to writers. Also, essay instructions for a thematic essay tend to define a broad scope for research, which implies that authors may develop a wide variety of arguments. In turn, the expansive nature of the subject of a paper is not present for argumentative essays, which force students to choose one of the two sides of a controversial issue.
Outlining a Thematic Essay
The introduction section is the first part of a thematic essay, which consists of three main elements: hook, background information, and thesis statement. Firstly, a hook is the first statement of an essay that plays the role of capturing the audience’s attention through creative wording, which gives them a reason to read the entire essay. Since students know how to write a hook , they provide the essential background information that readers require to understand a thesis statement. Moreover, the background information element does not have a fixed length. Instead, it is dependent on the complexity of a thesis statement and the overall length of a thematic essay. Also, a thesis statement is the final item of the introductory paragraph. In turn, the length of introductions is approximately 10% of the essay’s word count.
II. Body Paragraphs
A. topic sentence.
A topic sentence contains a minor claim that an author discusses within a paragraph. For example, its primary role is to establish content boundaries, which ensures that students focus on a particular idea in each paragraph. Moreover, a topic statement should present a minor argument and mention a relation that it has to the central idea or make a tacit suggestion of its link to a thesis statement. Therefore, writers should avoid the use of in-text citations in a topic statement because it implies that an idea is not original.
B. Evidence
After a topic sentence, students unveil the evidence that supports their claims. In college writing, an in-text citation should accompany any evidence that learners introduce into a thematic essay to direct readers to its origin. Also, learners should rely heavily on summary and paraphrasing as opposed to a direct quotation of sources. Nevertheless, some thematic essay instructions may specify a particular technique that writers must use when integrating evidence into a paper.
C. Evaluation
This element of a paragraph structure allows authors to explain the significance of the evidence to the paragraph’s argument. Firstly, students provide an interpretation of the evidence, which informs the audience of the meaning of the evidence in the context of a source text. Then, writers explain the value of the evidence in developing a reasonable justification for the idea proposed in topic sentences. In turn, learners should avoid the inclusion of lengthy pieces of evidence because it creates a situation where the voice of sources is more dominant than the author’s voice.
D. Concluding Statement
A concluding statement emphasizes the logical relationship that exists between the topic sentence, evidence, evaluation, and thesis statement. In some cases, it may establish the relationship of a paragraph with the preceding paragraph. Also, students should ensure that a concluding sentence of a paragraph does not contain a meaningless summary of the key pieces of evidence. Then, a concluding statement must not contain any new evidence because there is no opportunity to explain the contribution of the evidence in supporting the paragraph’s argument.
A concluding paragraph has three critical features: a restatement of the main claim, a summary of minor arguments, and closing remarks. Basically, the opening statement of a thematic essay reminds students of the central argument by using new words and syntax. After the opening statement, learners summarize minor claims that appear in individual body paragraphs while maintaining a logical organization, which is identical to the arrangement of ideas in the body. Finally, authors write a strong closing statement that knits together the introduction, thesis statement, and minor claims to create a lasting impression on the audience. Moreover, students should ensure that they do not introduce new evidence or arguments in a concluding paragraph. In turn, authors must not apologize for a lack of expertise on a topic or make absolute claims because it diminishes the efficacy of the conclusion.
Example of a Thematic Essay
Topic: Recruitment of Terrorists
I. Sample Introduction of a Thematic Essay
Terrorism is a global problem, which appears to be spreading despite an increment in the efforts to suppress its growth. Basically, the prevention of recruitment is a crucial counterterrorism strategy. Moreover, its efficacy is dependent on the understanding of the terrorists’ recruitment techniques. In turn, the terrorist groups’ recruitment methods focus on the target’s identity crisis, which puts a potential member at risk of falling for the ‘appeal’ of terrorism.
II. Examples of Body Paragraphs in a Thematic Essay
A. motivation.
An individual’s desire to be part of a movement that is effecting a radical change in society is a significant motivator for participation in terrorism. For example, recent studies show that terrorist groups begin conversations with most young recruits on social media platforms, which discuss topics concerning social, political, and economic oppression (Jacks, 2020). Basically, this finding suggests that young people in contemporary society have a desire to correct the ‘wrongs’ in society as a means of identity. Consequently, terrorists use the increased sensitivity to social injustices as a common ground to initiate and build a relationship with a prospective recruit. In turn, the youth’s strong desire to do something to stop social injustices that their respective governments ignore leaves them vulnerable to radicalization by terrorist groups.
B. Religious Beliefs
Fanatical religious belief may drive an individual to support or participate in terrorism for the sake of being part of a group. According to Mohammed (2020), the constant pressure from religious parents causes the blind indoctrination of adolescents and young adults, which enables recruiters from terrorist groups to present religious concepts as justifications for terrorism, for example, the holy war. In this case, Mohammed concedes that the mosque is an ideal site for the recruitment of terrorism because of the presence of youth with highly impressionable minds. Moreover, youths depend on teachings at places of worship for knowledge that defines their perspective of the world. As a result, terrorist recruiters disguising as spiritual leaders can easily nurture fanatical beliefs, which endorse terrorist activities. Eventually, a feeling of separation from the conservative believers pushes them to pursue groups that share their fanatical religious beliefs.
C. Recruiting
The loss of a family member to counterterrorism activities may act as a motivation factor for grievers that are trying to re-establish their identities because they no longer fit in the traditional social structures. For instance, Tobias (2020) argues that recruiters prey on the pain of grieving family members by offering them retribution as a solution to the overwhelming feeling of incompleteness. After the death of a family member, the emotional turmoil increases the susceptibility of individuals to the idea that terrorist acts are an appropriate response to the ‘killers’ of their loved ones. Often, recruitment occurs during this unstable state and encourages the individual to relive the pain each day, which results in permanent erosion of their former identity. Accordingly, grievers may find themselves as sympathizers of terrorism, which leads to active or passive participation.
III. Sample Conclusion of a Thematic Essay
Most members of terrorist organizations experience an identity crisis at the time of recruitment. Basically, the need to gain membership to a group, which fights against social injustices, tolerates fanatical religious beliefs, or seeks revenge for the death of loved ones, is a sign that identity crisis is common characteristics in recruits. In turn, current counterterrorism initiatives should seek to break the cycle of recruitment, which will weaken terrorist groups.
Takeaway on How to Write a Good Thematic Essay
- Students should define a narrow topic to guide them in generating ideas in response to a thematic essay prompt.
- The characteristics and expectations of the audience are vital in determining an appropriate presentation approach.
- Before drafting a thematic essay, authors must create a formal outline and annotated bibliography, which are critical for organization and evidence selection.
- The maintenance of a high level of fluidity during drafting is critical during drafting because it allows writers to experiment with different styles of expression.
- Revision and editing are aspects of the writing process that a student should not take lightly.
- All body paragraphs must adhere to the four-element paragraph structure.
- The conclusion of a thematic essay should not contain any new evidence or arguments.
- Learners must compose a thesis statement that captures a theme that instructors highlight in essay prompts.
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The thematic essay has several key components. First of all, it should be five paragraphs or more, depending on the depth of the theme. Next, it
A thematic essay is based on a specific question or theme. A writer will develop a main idea or a theme around which the whole essay will revolve.
WRITING ABOUT. LITERATURE. Thematic Essay Outline. Outline. Introduction: Open with a few sentences that relate to your theme. These sentences should convey
How to Write a Good Thematic Essay · Highlight the central theme. · Craft a thesis statement. It is the most crucial part amongst all components
Thematic essay (also known as a theme analysis essay) is a type of essay that analyzes the themes or underlying messages within a literary work.
Thematic essays work with a social theme of importance. The author uses several literary techniques like metaphors and imagery to get across their point.
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Theme essays are structured around a predetermined theme mentioned in an assignment prompt. To write a thorough theme essay, you'll need to read the prompt
How to write a thematic analysis essay in 6 steps · Prepare for writing. · Take notes when reading. When you are taking notes, you pay attention (
A thematic essay is a form of academic writing that requires an author to react to a particular question or theme. In this case, instructors