Thesis
These are thesis statements from student essays in a previous course I taught. After reading them over, consider what works or doesn’t work about each of them, specifically as interpretative claims regarding social practices or visual texts. While analyzing each thesis statement, ignore any grammatical errors or factual inaccuracies. Please print this page and bring it with you to our next class meeting.
“Valentine’s Day as an American holiday is one that truly documents how this nation has both progressed and declined in various aspects, but has nonetheless evolved.”
“Karneval is the festival for people to enjoy their possessions and foods that will soon be given up for Lent (a Catholic 40 day cleansing leading up to Easter).”
“There are a great variety of ways Bar Mitzvahs can be conducted; however, three rituals are virtually universal: the Aliyah, which is an honor bestowed upon the boy, the speech where the young boy displays his level of maturity, and celebrating to show acceptance by the community to the new adult member.”
“Throughout the years, there have been various misconceptions of the origination of ‘Rosie the Riveter.’ However, for Miller, although successfully balancing both feminine and masculine features, Rosie was never intended to be a nation-wide feminist icon.”
“Miller illustrates a woman resembling a male, to convince women to consider how they can help their country. The painting also shows women as an empowering and useful force in the war effort. It encourages feminism and allows women to believe that they can be influential in becoming victorious.”
“This poster aimed to stimulate female work at factories by visually providing an approval for women to obtain social characteristics typical for men, along with keeping appropriate female ones. The use of a very clear composition and an articulate design also helped in successfully communicating such an important message.”
“Valentine’s Day as an American holiday is one that truly documents how this nation has both progressed and declined in various aspects, but has nonetheless evolved.”
“Karneval is the festival for people to enjoy their possessions and foods that will soon be given up for Lent (a Catholic 40 day cleansing leading up to Easter).”
“There are a great variety of ways Bar Mitzvahs can be conducted; however, three rituals are virtually universal: the Aliyah, which is an honor bestowed upon the boy, the speech where the young boy displays his level of maturity, and celebrating to show acceptance by the community to the new adult member.”
“Throughout the years, there have been various misconceptions of the origination of ‘Rosie the Riveter.’ However, for Miller, although successfully balancing both feminine and masculine features, Rosie was never intended to be a nation-wide feminist icon.”
“Miller illustrates a woman resembling a male, to convince women to consider how they can help their country. The painting also shows women as an empowering and useful force in the war effort. It encourages feminism and allows women to believe that they can be influential in becoming victorious.”
“This poster aimed to stimulate female work at factories by visually providing an approval for women to obtain social characteristics typical for men, along with keeping appropriate female ones. The use of a very clear composition and an articulate design also helped in successfully communicating such an important message.”