J. Kelly Robison
A short essay should contain a thesis statement in its first paragraph. The thesis statement should let the reader know, as soon as possible, what argument the paper will make. The statement should be brief; there is no point in supplying an outline of everything that a short paper is going to say. But the thesis statement should not merely announce the author's general interests or plans:
I intend to discuss the reasons for the fall of Rome.
This tells the reader very little, especially if the title of the essay is "Reasons for the Fall of Rome." Make the thesis statement a definite assertion of your views;
The major reason for the fall of Rome was bad economic policy.
A thesis statement may sometimes require more than one sentence to make, and it may appear in the beginning, middle, or end of the first paragraph. In order to decide where to place the thesis statement, think carefully about your readers. Assume that they are people like yourself - they have read the bocks that you have read; they have attended the lectures you have attended. Your subject, therefore, is not entirely unknown to them, but they have not necessarily considered it as thoroughly as you have while planning your paper. Is there anything that would be useful for them to read before they arrive at your thesis statement?
There is no shortage of explanations for the fall of the Empire. Religious fanaticism, decline of urban institutions, the growth of an autonomous military caste. the decay of political and sexual morality. and even lead poisoning - each of these has been proclaimed the chief cause of Rome's destruction. In fact, however, the major reason for the fall of Rome was bad economic policy.
The first two sentences provide some reason for paying attention to the thesis statement. Not everyone knows why Rome fell, although the subject is apparently interesting enough to make almost everyone want to know. but the author does, and he is about to explain it all.
A good thesis statement will probably have these characteristics: