I have written two thesis statements for my English teacher, but neither one is good enough. The first one was "Sonny's Blues deals with the...

Although both of your sentences are excellent descriptions of the plot, your English teacher probably wants you to go beyond a description: to make your thesis statement arguable. (It will help if you can provide your teacher's instructions or feedback.)

What I mean is that thesis statements usually say something that requires support. They are more than just factual. Your teacher probably wants you to use your statement to build an interesting argument, not to write a book report or a summary.

If I say, "The story is about two brothers trying to escape their past," then it's not an arguable statement. It's obviously true, and simple. Nobody sane could read "Sonny's Blues" and disagree with me. So, it's not a very good thesis statement.

But if I say, "Baldwin masterfully portrays inner turmoil in 'Sonny's Blues,'" then I'd have to prove it. I'd have to show places in the story where the narrator's intense negative emotions are expressed to the reader in clear, cogent, original, startling terms, with powerful and fresh metaphors. That kind of thesis statement would help me build an interesting argument that proves an idea (instead of describing the plot).

To make your thesis statement, try saying why the story is valuable, or what it reveals about humans or society. Or, point out something incredibly skillful that you notice the author is doing.

You can find some great information about "Sonny's Blues" that will help you think bigger, beyond describing the plot.

is an excellent discussion to keep you thinking about the themes of the story and how you might turn them into thesis statements.

Lastly, here are some templates for thesis statements that you can use:

A. "(Title) illustrates why people must (do or not do something)."

B. "By (doing something,) (Character) reveals (a particular problem in society)."

C. "(Author) uses (Title) to explore (idea) and ultimately reveals (something that's surprising and true)."

D. "By contrasting (one thing) and (another different thing,) (Author) expresses the value of (something)."