Narrowing a Topic
Finding Your Own Topic
Ask yourself questions as you read.
- Do I understand what I am reading?
- What formal elements do I notice?
- What themes are being expressed or suggested?
- Am I interested, or am I bored to tears?
- Why can't Hamlet make up his mind?
- What does Kurtz mean by "the horror"?
- What does that white whale symbolize?
- Comedy in Romeo and Juliet: The nurse as comic figure
- Values in Romeo and Juliet: Suicide in Romeo and Juliet
- Love in Romeo and Juliet: Juliet’s love in contrast to Romeo’s
- The character of Juliet in Romeo and Juliet: How Juliet matures from child to woman
Working with an Assigned Topic
A preliminary analysis of this topic might go something like this:
Developing a Thesis
Moving From Topic to Thesis
A good topic leads to a good thesis.
Look at the assigned topic on The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn:
"The episode of Huck and Jim on Jackson Island is significant because ..........."
- Why can't Hamlet make up his mind?
- In Heart of Darkness, what does Kurtz mean by "the horror"?
- In Moby Dick, what does that white whale symbolize?
Refining Your Thesis
Read more about topic and thesis development