I was in the National Forest with my camera. The day was crisp and the leaves were bright with fall colors. When I spotted the w
hite-tailed buck, I froze. He was less than 15 yards from where I was standing. The wind must have been right, because he kept on grazing on the mossy ground. I lifted my camera very slowly. Carefully, holding my breath, I lifted the camera to my eye. Turning the focus ring, I framed the deer’s head. Just as I was ready to press the shutter release, the buck raised his head. He was looking my way with wide eyes. Click—I took the picture. An instant later the deer bounded away into the forest. He took off, but I had the shot. Today, the framed photo of that buck hangs above our fireplace. What is the main idea of this piece? What are the clues? What does the author imply? If you think it is about a photo that was very important to the writer, you’re right. How does the last line help you make that inference?
The main idea is the evasive beauty of nature, but also purposeful human intrusion upon nature. The clues are: a man who went to the wilderness for the sheer pleasure of capturing a beautiful natural scene of a wild creature; the deer's mistrust and frightfulness. Eventually, both of them, the man and the deer, got away - the deer ran into safety, and the man went back to civilization with a photo of the deer.
Yes, it is about a photo that is very important to the author, for the reasons I've explained.
The last line implies that the author had captured and tamed the wilderness, if only for a single moment.
A thesis statement focuses your ideas into one or two sentences. It should present the topic of your paper and also make a comment about your position in relation to the topic. Your thesis statement should tell your reader what the paper is about and also help guide your writing and keep your argument focused.
