Lively Thesis Point

Astral Facts, May 2009

Thesis of Life
Astral: (Theosophy) Consisting of, belonging to, or designating, a kind of supersensible substance alleged to be next above the tangible world in refinement; as, astral spirits; astral bodies of persons; astral current.


Sometimes - actually, make that often times - students sit in my English comp classes with that look that says,

“Like why do I need to know all this – it’s not like I’m going to get a job in a verb conjugation plant or something!”

After all, isn’t school supposed to be preparing the students to be successful in life?

Of course, it would be professional suicide to stop to address – or even consider - that statement at the time. It’s like the windshield wipers on my car that need replacing: I can’t change them when I’m driving in the rain, and when I’m not in the car or it’s not raining, it’s no longer an issue.

Recently I was in an audience somewhere, and the topic did intrude into my somewhat idle mind.

I started with the question, “What do English composition instructors really teach?”

Personally, I tell my students they need to start with some purpose. What do they want to accomplish in their writing? (Of course, the real answer is that they want to get an A, pass the class, get credit toward their degree, and all that stuff swirling around in real life,) but I ask them to focus somewhere outside that unacknowledged reality.

In English teacher jargon, we like to stress the formation of a “thesis” or thesis statement. Of course, we don’t hear that term used out in the ‘hood, so we call it “my point” – as overheard on the street corners, back alleys, and corporate boardrooms – “ma point is….” and “don'cha git ma point?”

Then I tell my students they need to have good reasons for others (the audience) to “git it” like they mean it. Frequently, teachers tell the students to come up with three solid reasons. That way they can triangulate the point and get that nice five-paragraph essay that has a good strong conclusion. Just like Jack McCoy does on Law and Order, merely having the three key reasons (something like the motive, means, and opportunity) doesn’t mean much without good solid evidence.

So I tell them to use the “e+e” formula: present the evidence (examples) that relate and then use the second “e” – explanation. This explanation needs to do more than just identify the meaning of the evidence. The explanation also needs to include commentary on the significance of that meaning.

Unfortunately, the part often overlooked is the conclusion. All the explanation of the significance of the particular examples should be driving the focus toward the closing and the reinforcement of the “ma point" set up at the start.

Unfortunately, people often just end up with an R’s Я Us that repeats, reviews, restates, and basically regurgitates with a “See, I’m right!” emphasis. However, that doesn’t offer any real value to the readers. Thus, a good conclusion goes beyond the simple R’s Я Us statement to offer some benefit or application of the content.

It’s all pretty simple when you think about it, and it works when writing a cover letter on a job application (when my point is they should hire me), a letter of complaint (when my point is they gotta make it right), a proposal for community improvements (when my point is this is the best thing to do), etc.

So let's go back to when my mind was seemingly in idle mode (back in my introduction).

I was attending a religious service in Maple Valley early this month and the main speaker showed a YouTube clip on the big screen. It was two women in a parking lot (apparently a scene from Malcolm in the Middle) letting things get out of control when one of them accidentally inflicts a “door ding” on the other’s vehicle.

Here’s a link to the clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiNEM4rrtwo

Of course, everyone in the place had a good hearty laugh. The commentary that followed primarily focused on how these women had the kinds of natural reactions we all experience.

Frankly, I was a bit troubled by calling this a “natural” reaction. It seemed to me the better term might be “common” reaction. I would think the “natural” reaction would be the initial apology which the second woman was expecting. Of course, she then would naturally say, “not a big deal, I don’t see any serious damage” and they would have gone off their own ways.

A couple weeks later I attended a different kind of religious event in Seattle. The main speaker then focused on simplifying our lives down to a common statement of purpose. I thought,

“Dude! That’s exactly what I’m trying to teach in my composition classes!”

It’s like asking what is the “ma point” to focus everything around?!

The speaker’s suggestion was

Inherit the Original Love of the Creator

which is probably not too different from

Don’t leave a big carbon footprint,

Do unto others ...,

and similar versions of “The Golden Rule” :http://origin.org/ucs/ws/theme015.cfm

It seems that in our current troubled times of budget crunching, dinged doors, road rage, and hectic encounters, that basic stuff of English& 101 (which is just an extension of everything I needed to know in kindergarten) might be worth reflecting upon – both for idle and active minds.

We just need to clarify the meaning, present the "e+e", and confirm the significance is connected to that original "ma point" while driving the content toward the conclusion that includes value and application.

How simple is that?!

Walter Lowe
Astral Facts is a monthly presentation of Humanities Science, produced in the bowels of the Humanities Science offices.