My first essay-its on Thomas Hardy.

This is my first coursework essay ever,and i am somehow meant to et an A*,and ive never read so much as read a B graded course work...

We are basically doing this on Thomas Hardy,the teacher just said that and jotted down a few points that we could focus on;forensic,inference,dialect,social contacts,influences,historical and biography,photographs ,use of light and use of colour.It is meant to be at least 3 pages and its due in 3 days.Thats all the information she said she would give.

How do i even start an essay like this properly...most of the essays ive looked at on the internet about Thomas Hardy are either arguing a point or comparing.(mostly about his philosophy and his books).And they start with quotations,questions and facts.

Dou you recommend i start with a fact too?Do i write about him from my opinion,what about quotations and references are they necessary,i havent read a single book of his.How and from which persepective do i write the conclusion about him on my last paragraph.What is the purpose of an essay which evolves around a person?

Can someone explain to me clearly what a thesis is?

The thesis is the message or controlling idea of the essay.

Looking at the list provided by your teacher, it seems you have a lot of latitude in choosing your essay topic. You might want to offer a biography of Thomas Hardy, give an assessment of the influences on his work, put his work in historical context, or discuss the use of dialect or of light and color in one or more of his works.

What have you read by or about Hardy? What interests you most about him or his work? Which of the possible topics given by your teacher appeals to you or seems like something you could write easily?

Thesis,Understood,

If i write it on his biography isnt it pretty much like copying?Or when write his biography i put in my own opinions and maybe compare his life with some other authors'.Alright i think i understand.

I have read none of his work in fact i knew nothing about him until today,this essay was out of the blue,i guess ill have to do some quick researching,i now assume the teacher wants to see how quick and creative we can be with the little we know or something.

Oh yes brilliant i think i can try to combine his use of dialect,light and color with the historical context,as in descirbe the historical context and explain how i think it affected his works his dialect,beliefs etc.And maybe actually compare him and his works with a modern writers' or something...I hope the teacher finds what i try to do pleasantly creative.

Thank you...I think i now know the directing im heading to.

I'm glad to see that your creativity is sparking. Since it's your first essay, just be sure not to try to do too much. Once you've done some research and settled in on a topic, narrow your focus to a thesis that can be adequately covered in just three pages. Good luck!

If its your first essay, you should probably look closely at one or more of the main themes of one of his works, possibly showing how your chosen theme is developed by his use of dialect, light, and/or color, or else how it fits into the larger historical context in which he was writing. This will give you a more manageable topic for a three page essay.