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The assumptions underlying Kelley’s claim include:
2

• It’s not healthy for children to work at night.
• We should prioritize the health and well-being of children over the economic or
monetary benefits of their labor.
Argument
• Women are more concerned with children’s health than men.
• The reason the laws haven’t changed is that women haven’t been given the right
to vote.
• The majority of women would vote to make it illegal for children to work at night.
Do you agree with all of these assumptions? Many people today would question the
assumption that women are more concerned with children’s health than men. However,
because Kelley was speaking to an audience entirely composed of women in an era
where most saw women’s role in society primarily as a domestic one, she did not need to
address that assumption. In fact, letting the assumption remain unspoken conveys a
shared understanding between Kelley and her audience.
®
Analyzing Assumptions and Exploring Complexities in an AP
Argument Essay

Now let’s consider how to apply this way of thinking to your own argumentative writing.
As an example, let’s tease out the assumptions underlying a claim in the second exam-
ple of an open thesis responding to the prompt on school start times in Section 2 (p. 96):

Early start times for American high schools show that convenience and cost are
more important concerns than the health and academic growth of our students.

This thesis statement assumes that people would naturally prioritize the health and
academic success of young people over the convenience or cost to the community and
that doing the reverse would be an irresponsible choice. Taking this statement as truth
also means accepting that convenience and cost are the only two reasons schools start
early; the assumption here is that readers will not question whether other factors are in
play. Finally, the writer assumes that readers will agree about the fundamental value of
education and even the definition of the term “early.”
Where does this leave us in terms of the argument? You don’t have to throw away the
work you’ve done so far; indeed, this thesis is solid and can still anchor an essay.
Remember, sophistication isn’t just located in a single statement; it’s woven throughout an
effective argument. Next, we’ll walk through one way to address assumptions in an essay.
As a general rule, the assumptions that provoke discussions indicate a point of vul-
nerability in an argument. As you write your arguments, you should make it a habit to
ask, “What am I assuming here?” If the assumption is one that you feel confident your
audience will accept, you can keep moving forward with your line of reasoning. However,
if you catch yourself wondering whether people will doubt your claim, you’ve identified
an idea that may warrant more explanation and evidence.
Here’s how you might revise our sample paragraph on page 101 to include modifiers,
excavate some assumptions, and build on our newly qualified thesis statement:
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