Narrative Thesis Statements

Narrative essay thesis statements are often a single-sentence condensation of the substance of the narrative or story being conveyed.   Many times, these thesis statements also state (or imply) the purpose of the writing.  

In personal narratives, narratives that are about something personal that the author has experienced, the thesis usually summarizes the experience and its importance:

The passing away of my grandmother had a profound affect on how I see my family; I value everyone around me far more now.

My experience in Outward Bound helped to make me a more responsible person. 

Divorce is never an easy thing to go through, especially for a child, but the story of my parents’ divorce may help others get through it with less pain. 

In third-person narrative essays, essays that tell the story (or history) of a thing, person, idea, or event (or series of events), the thesis should state the topic directly: 

The development of the transistor was one of the most important technological leaps in human history. 

While many people think that America became an empire when it invaded Iraq, it really has a much deeper history with colonialism than most people think.

The life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is a story of great perseverance, great faith, and great hope. 

The life of a typical coal miner in early 20^th century America was often very difficult; Alonzo Orlandi was one such a miner, and his story teaches us a lot about the immigrant experience.

There were several key events that contributed to the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. 

An easy way to think about constructing a narrative thesis statement for the narrative essay is to ask yourself some basic questions:

1. What is the basic story I want to tell?
2. Why is this story relevant to someone else besides me?
3. How can I create a single statement that tells my reader what story I want to tell and why it’s important? 

Consider using one of the following templates below to get you started:

Personal Narrative Essay

[Event you wish to discuss] was an important event in my life because it taught me that [reason the event was important].  

The most important experience of my life so far was [event you wish to discuss] because [reason the event was important].

Third-Person Narrative Essays

The story of [event or topic you wish to discuss] is important because it shows us [important themes or ideas your topic illustrates].

Many important things happened to make [major event or topic you wish to discuss] possible.