The Almighty Thesis.

Going back to a few issues that I raised in class a few a days ago, I still maintain my position that the thesis  statement of any paper is the most important part and should also have the most time dedicated to it. I can't tell you how many papers in high school and freshman year of college I had ripped apart by teachers because my thesis was basically non-existent, no matter how good the supporting sections or conclusion were. The thesis is the ultimate form of self-expression, because it encompasses the main idea or argument that you are trying to synthesize from all sorts of external information and internal thought processes.

Another main issue that arises with thesis statements is how exactly one judges them. You can't tell someone their thesis statement is weak simply because you don't agree with the idea or because the argument is easily refuted. Obviously one needs to make some effort and put some original thought into formulating an argument, but sometimes having a good idea and argument does not necessarily mean you know how to translate it to the written word that easily. I've had good ideas that just sounded stupid on paper, so I think its really important to keep in mind whether or not you can write what you say and say what you write (and still make sense and remain congruent with your thoughts).