X → Y Thesis: In A Treatise on Domestic
Economy, Catherine Beecher declares that in a marriage, “there must be the magistrate
and the subject, one whom is the superior, and the other the inferior”
(129). However, Chopin’s character Edna
Pontellier, along with evidence from Sojourner Truth, Beatrice M. Hinkle, and
the ladies of the Women’s Rights Convention, declare that subordinance is
neither good for society nor conducive to female happiness.
* The X →
Y Thesis not only allows you to engage in a conversation, but it allows you
to say something new about the topic. By
disagreeing with accepted ideas, you are becoming a new and unique voice in the
conversation.
X + Y Thesis:
The character of Adele Ratignolle perfectly exemplifies Catherine Beecher’s
expectations for women as described in A
Treatise on Domestic Economy. Edna
Pontellier’s death further emphasizes that
* The X + Y
Thesis allows you to become a voice in a literary conversation. Your paper will aim to illustrate why X is
true using Y as examples.
X Thesis:
The key American trait exemplified by Edna Pontellier is the desire for
independence.
* While the X
Thesis is an argument, it is simplistic and can easily lead to “pointing.”
“Lawn” Thesis:
The main character in The Awakening,
Edna Pontellier, strives for independence.
* The “Lawn”
Thesis really isn’t a thesis at all; it simply points to something that any
reader can observe.