What is an argument?
In academic writing, an argument is usually a
main idea, often called a "claim" or "thesis
statement," backed up with evidence that
supports the idea.
When beginning to write a paper, ask yourself, "What is my point"? For example, the point of this guide is to help you become a better writer, and it is arguing that an important step in the process of writing an analysis of a literary work is understanding the
concept of argumentation. If your papers do not have a main point, they cannot be arguing for anything.
(See https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-
tools/argument/)
In writing assignments, you will always need to do more than just present information that you have gathered after your research. You will need to select a point of view and provide evidence (in other words, use "argument") to shape the material and offer your interpretation of the material.
(See https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-
tools/argument/)
In crafting a thesis statement, you would not want to make an argument of this sort:
Shakespeare’s Hamlet is a play about a young man who seeks revenge.
That doesn’t say anything–it’s basically just
a summary and is hardly debatable.
Below is an example of an acceptable thesis statement which offers a claim that encourages a thorough examination with specific references to the play:
The repeated guise of madness in Shakespeare's
Hamlet demonstrates a departure from norms,
and in this way creates freedom from social and
political restrictions.
Critical reading
When you read, ask yourself the following questions:
• What is the author trying to prove?
• What is the author assuming I will agree with?
• Do I agree with the author?
• Does the author adequately defend her/his argument? What kind of proof does s/he use?
(See
https://teachingenglishlanguagearts.com/writing-
convincing-arguments/)
Here’s a very useful list of questions to ask of every text you read:
•Who is the text’s author, and what is important to know about him or her?
•For whom is the author writing, and why? How would you describe the text’s audience?
•How does the genre of your text (poetry, novel, play, etc.) actually work? What conventions (traditional and widely accepted ways of conveying information) does the genre of your text use?
• What is the historical context in which the text was written? How does this text engage with the intellectual, social, and political climate of its time?
• How does the literary work that you study
challenge or agree with other texts? What, in
other words, are its intertextual
characteristics?
• What key terms, images and concepts has the author chosen to highlight in the text? Where in the piece do you encounter these terms, and are their patterns to their use?
• Are there any terms or phrases that seem historically specific?
• What claims (about people, the world, history,
science, life, death, etc.) are made in the text? Which
claims are the most important? Are they supported?
Remember that one of the qualities that makes for a good interpretation is that it avoids the obvious. You want to develop complex ideas, and the best way to do that is to keep your ideas flexible until you have considered the evidence carefully.
Above all, you would not want to write a simplistic paper, and to avoid that, you need to be willing to challenge or expand your own thoughts.
(See https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and- tools/literature-fiction/)
