Is this a thesis statement or not?

Question

I'm having some serious trouble. I've read and read online about thesis statements but I'm still having trouble figuring out how to do it. I ALWAYS have trouble doing it, I always get my essays marked off and I'm an English major! So I need some serious help.

I'm doing a compare/contrast essay about The Revolt of Mother, and The Yellow Wallpaper, this is my introduction paragraph:

For centuries women have felt inferior toward men. Even today, women feel they shouldn’t participate in things supposedly reserved for men. In the late 1800’s, when The Revolt of Mother by Mary E Wilkins Freeman and The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman were published, women’s rights was a more trivial idea than today. These two stories express women in situations were their voices are no more important than a duck squawking, and seemingly are not treated the way they deserve. In the Revolt of Mother, Sarah, refuses to be unheard and treated no better than a farm animal, so she takes a stand.

Answer 1

Is this your opening paragraph?

The thesis should be the last sentence in the opening. What it does is tells the readers what is gonna happen, without giving away toomuch. My teacher also says its better if its conteversial, however in this case, I'm not sure if it could work.

You see the thing is, is that I can see how they compare, that in both novels, no one cares what women think, however then you say that in The Revolt of Mother, sarah decides to take a stand, does that mean that in the other one the lady just leaves it be? Or if she doesn't, how is it different?

Answer 2

I can't pick a thesis statement out of your intro paragraph. A thesis statement should express a point-of-view that you plan to spend the rest of your essay defending. How does each author deal with the issue of women and/or women's rights? Did one story make a stronger impression on you than the other? If so, you can craft your thesis statement around that idea. For example: Mary Wilkins Freeman's The Revolt of Mother is far more effective than Gilman's The Yellow Wallpaper as a feminist manifesto. Or something to that effect. Good luck!

Answer 3

No, the last sentence of your paragraph is not a thesis. It should be more general, similar to what you had above, but your second last sentence could be one.

These two stories express women in situations where their voices are no more important than a duck squawking, and seemingly are not treated the way they deserve.

This could be ok as a thesis, except I'm not sure about a duck squawking.

Answer 4

Is this your thesis statement? "For centuries women have felt inferior toward men."

Take a look at this article...it may help you.

http://instruct1.cit.cornell.edu/Courses/hist100.96/ThesisStatements.html