"Should we legalize drugs in the United States?"
Although we may have given cursory thoughts to this topic, we probably have not explored it enough to write an effective essay. If we suffer from lack of knowledge about a topic, or if we simply parrot the cliches about it that we've heard in the popular media, we will probably write a mediocre essay, or we may embarrass ourselves by revealing our ignorance. Therefore, before we can arrive at an appropriate thesis statement for an essay, we have to acquire knowledge about the topic. We have to read and reflect.
After we've read and reflected about our topics, we should start to write. However, don't expect perfection at this early stage. We will probably wander around the page, hopelessly searching for some direction before we are able to express our thoughts to an audience. Frustrating as it may be for us to search for direction, this wandering is normal. Just about every writer goes through the wandering stage because writing an essay is an intellectual journey, often into unknown territory. We need direction on this journey. We need a path, a specific highway, to lead us to our destination.
The thesis statement is that highway. It is a statement that expresses our opinion about the topic we have chosen. Because it provides this all-important direction for further thoughts, the thesis statement is often the most important sentence in the essay. Before we go any further, we need to clarify the difference between a statement that conveys a fact and a statement that conveys an opinion. A fact is any statement that can be objectively verified:
"Illegal drugs are a perennial problem in the United States."
Just about every intelligent adult understands that illegal drugs are a perennial problem in the United States. We could easily cite studies about drug use in this country to confirm this fact. There is nothing to argue, and the statement, which is a fact, expresses something almost too obvious to dwell on. An essay that uses this sentence as its thesis is going nowhere.
Let's look at another factual sentence, this time for an essay that deals with a critical analysis of a novel:
"Sebastian Faulks' novel Birdsong deals with Stephen Wraysford's experiences before and during World War I."
Anyone who has read Birdsong recognizes this statement as factual. It is literally what much of the novel dramatizes. Such a statement may set the direction for a summary of the novel, but intelligent college writing doesn't dwell on the obvious, and it doesn't require summaries (unless, of course, an assignment specifically calls for a summary). Rather, most writing at the college level should reflect critical thinking; it should ask for a writer's opinion about a topic.
An opinion is a statement that expresses our judgment, derived from facts.
"Marijuana, cocaine, and heroin should be legalized in the United States."
or
"Through the despair-ridden character of Stephen Wraysford, Sebastian Faulks' novel Birdsong dramatizes the meaninglessness of war."
Both of the above statements--opinions about topics--engage readers. They may leave readers thinking, "Oh, how are you going to convince me of that?" And naturally, both statements force the writers of the essays to provide support for their opinions. To do this, the writers have to possess knowledge about drugs or about the specifics of Sebastian Faulks' novel. In addition, the writers have to show connections between the facts available about drugs or events from the novel and the opinions expressed in the two thesis statements before reasonable readers will even consider agreeing. This kind of writing demands critical thinking skills. This is what college professors are usually looking for in student writing.
Therefore, a thesis statement for a college essay that requires critical thinking
