The main purpose of a thesis statement in a literary analysis essay is to introduce the topic of the literary analysis essay. Option 4 is correct.
The thesis statement of a literary analysis essay tells the reader what to expect: it constitute a restricted, precisely worded declarative sentence that states the purpose of your essay.
Literary analysis involves examining all the parts of a novel, play, short story, etc.
After we spend a day or 2 on author's purpose we switch over to author's viewpoint. This can be a little more tricky-- but students tend to enjoy it because they can share their own opinions over topics. I begin by teaching about 3 possible viewpoints: positive, negative, and neutral.
