Question

what exactly is a thesis statement? any tips on writing a good one? (for literature analysis)

Answer 1

tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject matter under discussion.
is a road map for the paper; in other words, it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper.
directly answers the question asked of you. A thesis is an interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject itself. The subject, or topic, of an essay might be World War II or Moby wingspan; a thesis must then offer a way to understand the war or the novel.
makes a claim that others might dispute.
is usually a single sentence somewhere in your first paragraph that presents your argument to the reader. The rest of the paper, the body of the essay, gathers and organizes evidence that will persuade the reader of the logic of your interpretation.

Answer 2

I think this is a more simplified explanation. The link, to where I found this, follows...
"Almost all assignments, no matter how complicated, can be reduced to a single question. Your first step, then, is to distill the assignment into a specific question... The answer to the question is the thesis statement for the essay."
http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/thesis_statement.shtml

Answer 3

make sure your thesis has an arguable point or makes a statement that cant be rebutaled.

Answer 4

thanks you guys :)