Steps to Write a Thesis for a Narrative Essay

Narrative essays typically tell a story, however every story should still have a point. When it comes to writing your thesis for a narrative essay you want to communicate what the story’s purpose is in a single sentence.

The best way to approach narrative essay writing is to begin with a clinching introduction to get the reader’s attention and then state your purpose for writing in a strong thesis statement. However, when you write your thesis statement it should be fluid with the rest of the paper and not take anything away from the narrative tone of the story that you are telling. Depending on how you approach the narrative the thesis could end up being the moral of the story, a lesson that was learnt, or a bold observation about a specific idea or theory.

Set The Scene

At the beginning of your narrative essay you really want to set a scene so that the reader understand where, who, what and when your “story” takes place. Do this by clarifying the time period and location of the story early on. Make sure that you also include whom the main subjects were and what their roles were within the introduction. The introduction paragraph should also introduce your thesis naturally, as part of the overall structure of the first few sentences.

Come Up With An Engaging Hook

The hook is the first part of the introduction that draws the reader in. In a short narrative essay the hook does not have to be long, but it still should interesting. It should also relate to the thesis.

Some people choose to start off by immediately making the hook also the thesis. This is a good strategy if your thesis is a strong remark.

The Thesis Should Summarize Your Essay’s Theme

No matter how you choose to go about introducing your thesis in a narrative essay you will want it to be a summary of your essay’s main theme. Basically in the case of a narrative structure the thesis should say exactly what the paper is about, as well as make a comment on the story’s outcome.

For example: “The summer before my eighteenth birthday I went to live on my grandparents farm, this experience taught me about hard work and responsibility.’

This would be a good thesis for a narrative essay that was about hard work and responsibility. It also clarifies the, who, what, when, and where, of the story that is being told.

Knowing how to put together a good thesis for a narrative style essay is not too hard! Just remember the main purpose is to communicate what the story is about in a simple, easy to understand sentence.