Metacognition: Kite Runner Thesis

When I first saw the questions that Mr. Allen wanted us to think about in order to create a thesis for our upcoming Kite Runner paper, I was pretty confused. Most of them did not seem like questions one could write more than a paragraph or two off of, let alone a full essay. I'm not trying to critize the questions themselves, but I was worried about how much meaning I could actually extract from them. Then I realized that they were meant to be the foundation for a thesis of our own construction, which had to include a precise focus and claim, and rather than being relieved, I still felt rather nervous. I don't pride myself on my extensive essay writing skills; personally, I would much rather write a poem.

Writing a thesis for English is very different (and personally, more nerve-wracking) than other subjects, such as history or science. Unlike English, most evidence can be supported by solid fact, not quotations that can be analyzed fifty different ways; theses are straightforward and by the book. I began writing a few possible theses, and then, once Mr. Allen picked them apart, I found out that they were either too simple, or too complex; I hadn't really hit anywhere in the middle.

Next, I went home and went back to the original questions, and attempted to reword one of my previous failures. I realized that my problem lay deeper: I hadn't found a topic I really wanted to talk about. And then I saw #3 on that page, stating "What does the story tell us about secrets?" A simple question really, one that could be taken in many different directions, yet I suddenly knew what I wanted to write my paper on. I scrapped my old theses and began anew with one about the issues secrets caused in the Kite Runner. Lo and behold, in our conference, Mr. Allen asked me which thesis I felt most strongly about, so he and I discussed that one and elaborated on it. I know it's not a perfect work of art, and I'm fully prepared to edit it and tweak it, but I'm pretty happy with it so far.

Looking back on my process, I probably should have spent more inital time thinking about possible topics, then I might have not had to return and rethink in order to find one I am really passionate about. I like the fact that I didn't just stop and try to be satisfied with a halfhearted topic that I didn't really like, because I know that I would not have enjoyed writing the paper as much. Now that I like my subject, writing this paper will (hopefully) be a much more enjoyable experience.