by Craig Waddell
Introduction
As far as I know, there''''s no etymological connection between thesis and Theseus, but there is a metaphoric one. Theseus, mythical hero of ancient Greece, found his way through the Cretan Labyrinth by following a thread. Likewise, a thesis allows both reader and writer to find their ways through a labyrinth of ideas by following a thread of thought. That is, a thesis crystallizes the controlling idea of an essay and, thus, helps us to keep track of that idea as it develops through the body of the text. If we were not able to formulate theses and to understand and evaluate the theses of others, we would be hopelessly lost amidst a maze of chaotic impressions, for there is no structure to experience exclend that imposed by the human mind.
When we formulate theses, we make experience comprehensible: we organize the chaos. As researchers, we begin to pick up facts and experiences that are relevant to our theses--just as magnets pick up iron filings--and we leave what is irrelevant behind. Thus, for both reader and writer, a thesis cuts through immense confusion to make one point perfectly clear. A good thesis, then, is essential to a well-written analytical essay, and at least four things are essential to a good thesis: it must be clearly defined, adequately focused, well supported, and relatively high in the orders of knowledge.