Every piece of writing that has ever been published has a meaning. A central theme may be created to teach a lesson or to illustrate the influence of a specific emotion or action. As readers, our aim is to figure out what the author was trying to say between the lines in their work. We’ve completed the first phase in thematic essay writing when we actually find it! Let’s look at how to compose a thematic essay below.
What Is a Thematic Essay?
Let’s look at the concept of a thematic essay: it’s a piece of writing in which an author uses literary devices like foreshadowing, imagery, personification, and so on to create the central theme in a work of literature.
A competent essay writer will elucidate the main focus, expand on the literary devices used, and convey the theme’s overall significance. The main problem is that, while there are many topics to choose from, determining which one is the most meaningful and impactful can be difficult.
Naturally, everyone has their own unique understanding, making it difficult to reach a broad consensus on a central theme. In a nutshell, a well-written thematic essay is constructed around a sound core concept that is persuasively proven by literary devices and logical arguments.
Outline for a Thematic Essay
There are several main components to the thematic essay. First and foremost, depending on the depth of the theme, it should be five paragraphs or longer. Following that, it should have a concrete thesis statement, which is the thematic statement derived from the main subject. The reader is introduced to the topic and the thesis statement in the introduction. The body paragraphs each address one or more literary elements to support your thesis, while also providing numerous supporting information from the text itself. Finally, the end of a thematic essay summarizes the key points made and ends with a declaration of importance.
Introduction
The key topic of discussion is presented in an engaging manner in the thematic essay introduction. The first sentence of the introduction should be a hook statement that makes a provocative argument about the topic at hand. If done correctly, this will catch the interest of your reader. Following that, include some background information from the literature that will aid the audience in understanding your assertions later on. Finally, write a well-thought-out thesis statement that represents the novel’s core theme.
Body Paragraphs
The body paragraphs are organized in the style of a thematic essay. Since the intent of each body paragraph is to present a literary device as evidence, the topic sentence should introduce the argument and serve as a portal into the evidence. A literary device and its connection to the literature must be stated in any topic sentence.
Then, to back up your point, use examples from the book to support your reasoning. There may be plot-related acts or quotes that are related to the central theme. It’s important to clarify how the action/quote relates to your thesis argument because it demonstrates your ability to back up your claims.
Keep in mind that each argument must include a literary device. It can’t be a chance occurrence or implication. The object of thematic essays is to prove thesis statements using critical literary devices.
Conclusion
Before wrapping up the entire text, there are three key goals to complete in the thematic essay conclusion. It should not present any new facts or information, but rather summarize what has already been presented. First and foremost, rephrase your thesis statement. Then, in the body of your paper, summarize the key statements you made and their effect on the thesis argument. Issue an overall closing statement with a global overview of the topic to round off the work. Leave your reader with a new hook to pique his or her interest in learning more about the topic.