Black Elk Speaks accurately represents Indian lifestyle through its attention to cultural detail, its use of Indian words, and its direct quotes from Black Elk.

The thesis statement has 3 main parts: the limited subject, the precise opinion, and the blueprint. 

1. Limited Subject

The limited subject tells the reader exactly on what, or whom the article focuses.  The book title (Black Elk Speaks), from the example, is the limited subject of the thesis statement:

Black Elk Speaks accurately represents Indian lifestyle through its attention to cultural detail, its use of Indian words, and its direct quotes from Black Elk.

2. Precise Opinion

The precise opinion gives your answer to a question about the subject. 

Black Elk Speaks accurately represents Indian lifestyle by its attention to cultural detail, its use of Indian words, and its direct quotes from Black Elk.

Note: a question without an answer is not an opinion: "Does Black Elk Speaks accurately represent Indian lifestyle?" You may, of course, wish to argue that a particular question is unanswerable -- but that would still be an opinion that you would have to back up just like any other answer. --DGJ

Below is an example of a different precise opinion.  This precise opinion also tells how the author feels, yet it is completely opposite from the original example.  Either is acceptable, as long as the rest of the essay supports the opinion:

Black Elk Speaks fails to represent Indian lifestyle by its lack of attention to cultural detail, its misunderstanding of Indian words, and its lack of quotes from Black Elk himself.

A good precise opinion is vital to the reader's comprehension of the goal of the essay.

3. Blueprint

A blueprint is a plan for the essay. Just like the blueprint of a building tells you what the finished product is supposed to look like, the blueprint of an essay permits you to see the whole shape of your ideas before you start churning out whole paragraphs. (See: Blueprinting.) 

Black Elk Speaks accurately represents Indian lifestyle by its attention to cultural detail, its use of Indian words, and its direct quotes from Black Elk.

In the blueprint, the author signals an intention to support the precise opinion. The author of the example above introduces three different kinds of evidence: cultural detail, Indian words, and quotes from Black Elk. Informed by this blueprint, the reader expects to encounter one section (a paragraph or more) devoted to each subtopic. [I am surprised at how many students confuse the order of their points, or else throw in a list for no discernable reason, and then immediately drop it. --DGJ]

To emphasize the structure of your essay, repeat each phrase of the blueprint as you introduce the paragraph(s) in which you expand and support each point that you want to make.  The way you introduce the supporting evidence is through topic sentences -- miniature thesis statements that echo the paper's main idea. (see Reminders of Thesis)

Note: If you repeat your blueprint phrases and your thesis statement robotically ("The third point I want to talk about is how Black Elk Speaks accurately represents the Indian lifestyle through its direct quotes from Black Elk."), your writing will be rather dry and lifeless. Dull writing is probably better than aimless rambling, although neither is terribly effective. --DGJ

Note: A thesis statement amounts to nothing if the paper is not completely focused on that main point.  Blueprinting helps create the coherency of the thesis throughout the entire essay, which makes it a necessary part of the thesis statement.

17 Oct 2000-- originally posted by Nicci Jordan, UWEC Junior
08 Dec 2000 -- first posted here. Maintained by Prof. Jerz.
13 Dec 2003 -- links updated