A good essay is more than just a summary; it strives to engage in a deeper analysis of the writing. When you write a literary or argumentative essay you should start with a strong thesis, a debatable statement that takes a side.
For instance, “In The Lord of the Rings, Frodo and his friends go on a quest to destroy the One Ring,” is a simple plot summary. It just explains what happened in the books; you can’t argue your case for or against the statement because there is no handle for debate.
A good argumentative essay addresses other points of view. You should think of the case that might be made against your thesis so that you can disprove their arguments with your own evidence.
On the other hand, a thesis statement such as “The point of The Lord of the Rings is that power corrupts and any person who is given power will eventually become evil,” sets up a debate. You can agree or disagree, and convince others that your point of view is correct through the use of logic and evidence. When writing your essay, you can use quotes from the book to illustrate your thesis. Depending on your thesis statement, you can use scientific studies, examples, or expert opinions to bolster your arguments.
A good argumentative essay addresses other points of view. You should think of the case that might be made against your thesis so that you can disprove their arguments with your own evidence.
Read more about how to write a good essay in the Kibin article, “The Secrets of a Strong Argumentative Essay” by Naomi Tepper and the Perdue Online Writing Lab article “What Makes a Good Literature Paper?” by Mark Dollar.
