Student-Created Thesis Statements
Note: Not all thesis statements are worthy of being used for your literary analysis essay.
1. Peyton Farquar’s bravery and devotion to the cause of the South ultimately leads to his downfall, despite having a family and career against all odds.
2. In this short story, “Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,” Ambrose Bierce illustrates the intense psychological effects of shock on the human mind in life threatening situations.
3. Jim Smiley changes his thoughts and feelings toward scamming people and ruined his reputation as a scam artist.
4. In “The Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,” the cheating done by Smiley ruins his reputation and his career.
5. In “The Occurrence of Owl Creek Bridge,” Peyton Farquhar demonstrates the survival instinct and the irrational thinking of what really goes on in the mind when one knows that they are going to die.
6. In the excerpt, “Ben Franklin’s Autobiography”, it illustrates the difficulties of achieving overall greatness by improving ones morals.
7. Winter dreams describes the dreams and the love of someone. Winter dreams is saying that dreams are unattainable and they cannot be achieved.
8. Peyton Farqhuar, the main character in “Owl Creek Bridge”, was a very brave, jingoistic confederate who died for what he believed in.
9. Indeed, Private Collins, a risk taker, shows his true merit in spite of his recklessness and brashness.
10. In “Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,” Payton is willing to lose everything for a losing cause. Payton doesn’t think of the big picture, he only thinks of glory.
11. In “Owl Creek Bridge”, the moral of the story is the fact that the lost causes are not worth fighting for.
12. A man’s last words and thoughts speak volumes about his character. The fact that Payton Farquhar’s last thoughts were about his family, shows he was a loving and devoted family man, however, his jingoistic values override his family in some cases.
13. Farquhar’s gallant attempt to blow up the bridge illustrates his patriotic, yet hubristic attitude which ultimately leads to his downfall.
14. Fitzgerald believes that when one values too much on one dream, it becomes a nightmare.
15. The social element in the Occurrence of Owl Creek Bridge shows the true cruelty of war as his old fellow countrymen take Farquhar’s life by hanging him.
16. Bierce’s veritable story conveys the truth that mixing soft civilian life with harsh military life results in the tragic downfall of any citizen.
17. In this inspiring story, Private Collins displays heroism through his integrity, his consideration of others and his sacrifice of his own life, despite the risks.
18. Private Collins story expresses the true meaning of heroes, when he risks his life for his fellow soldiers to keep defending the country. Are you as brave as Collins? Are you a hero?
19. Private Collins overcomes his selfish desire of proving himself to his peers by realizing that others’ need supersede his own.
20. Peyton Farquhar put his life, liberty, and family at risk because of his jingoistic attitude.
21. “Winter Dreams,” embodying empty wishes and desires that melt quickly, define Dexter’s hopeless, lifelong search for wealth, social acceptance, and love; however, finding these empty qualities does not gain for him the feeling he expects to find, but rather an emptiness that leaves his frivolous dreams, full of promise, dead in his wake.
22. Bierce vividly illustrates the struggle within an insecure man when life-threatening circumstances force him to decipher the difference between situational pressure and moral obligation.
23. Fitzgerald expresses unhealthy love portrayal when deception and human nature are involved.
24. Peer pressure causes private Collins to be insecure about himself and put his life on the line to prove himself.
25. Throughout Stephen Cane’s short story, “Mystery of Heroism,” we notice that private Collins is constantly trying to overcome his insecurities.
26. Jim Smiley, a gambler with hubris, allows his notions of untouchability cloud his judgment allows him to make a bet he should not have made.
27. Throughout “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,” we see Peyton Farqhar stepping up to death and accepting the fact that he is going to die, but he loves his family so much that he has flashbacks about them and does not want to die.
28. Payton chose his country over his family, who in the end though will be there to protect you from evil, the cause of something should not be more important than the wholeness of your family.
29. Bierce conveys the idea that war is the bane of our existence: War turns brother against brother, friend against friend. Nothing but pain and grief can come from war.
30. Peer pressure causes Private Collins to be insecure about himself, and put his life on the line to prove himself.
31. Throughout Stephen Cane’s short story, “Mystery if Heroism,” we notice that Private Collins is constantly trying to overcome his insecurities.
32. Fitzgerald expresses unhealthy love portrayal when deception and human nature are involved.