I'm writing a paper on comparing and contrasting the emotional characteristics of Elizabeth from Pride and Prejudice and Jane from Jane Eyre, and need help with my thesis.
My working thesis is: Elizabeth Bennett and Jane Eyre tend to let subconscious feelings rule their actions and live life on impulses.
Any help tweeking the thesis would be appreciated
My daughter, a pediatrician in Alabama, will moan if she reads your thesis: Next to Anne of Green Gables, Jane and Liz are her heroes. She thinks Jane and Liz are both rather calculated and cautious in their behavior with others. Now, Liz's youngest sister is impulsive, to say the least.
Are you certain impulses is the word you seek? What about emotions, or feelings? Even that would turn my daughters head.
Maybe you ought to rethink your thesis. It would make my daughter happier. No doubt both Liz and Jane knew their hearts, and did not turn away, nor hid, when the opportunity presented itself.
Here is an apt quote from Napoleon Hill...
“Opportunity often comes in disguised in the form of misfortune, or temporary defeat."
I see that thought in the thinking of Jane and Liz, much more than impulse.
Good luck with your paper, and have fun with it.
Bob Pursley is right -- you'll need to rethink that thesis!
Read about the major characters in these websites to get some better ideas:
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/pride/
and
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/janeeyre/
Your working thesis is a good starting point, but it can be strengthened by making it more specific and focused. Here's a revised thesis statement for your paper:
"Through their distinctive emotional journeys, Elizabeth Bennett in Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre in Jane Eyre both exhibit a tendency to allow their subconscious desires to shape their actions. However, while Elizabeth is guided by her intellectual impulses, Jane is driven by her inner moral compass, resulting in contrasting approaches to emotional expression and decision-making."
This revised thesis statement not only highlights the key idea of subconscious feelings influencing the characters' actions, but it also introduces the aspect of differing motivations for Elizabeth and Jane. It sets the direction for a comparative analysis of the emotional characteristics of the two characters and allows for a nuanced exploration of their choices and consequences in their respective novels.