The following thesis statements are for literary analysis papers about the short story"The Lesson" by Toni Cade Bambara. Which is the better thesis statement? (Remember the guidelines for writing good thesis statements that you have studied in this lesson.) 1. While some readers might argue that Sylvia does not realize the importance of being humble and grounded in reality, Sylvia's determination that "ain't nobody gonna beat me at nuthin" is the key that will lead her to achieving her goals. 2. Sylvia's being quiet during the trip and her behavior at the end of the story is a very important element that the writer wanted to include in the story.

The better thesis statement is:

While some readers might argue that Sylvia does not realize the importance of being humble and grounded in reality, Sylvia's determination that "ain't nobody gonna beat me at nuthin" is the key that will lead her to achieve her goals.

Explanation:

The short story "The Lesson" by Toni Cade Bambara shows how the character of Miss Moore, a well-educated teacher, tries to give a lesson to her students about the value of money and society, while her student Silvya due to her rebellious and extremely independent personality becomes reluctant to accept the lesson, even though at the end we can see that she has learned it to herself and that her own stubbornness and necessity of leadership can lead her to achieve all she wants in life.