text: The author throughout the essay did not convey a very well stated thesis. Typically, a writer of an arguementative essay would feature their thesis openly, so that the reader is able to see what side the author is pushing forward. However, this author did not do this. The first paragraph introduces the topic of Venus with an interesting hook, but does not give the reader their side. The reader needs a thesis, without one the reader is not going to be able to have their opinion on a topic swayed. The author's current attempt at a thesis statement , "While Venus is simple to see from the distant but safe vantage point of Earth, it has proved very challenging place to examine more closely," does not state what side they are on clearly. Their best declaration of the side they are on is in their very last paragraph. The author wrote, "Our travels on Earth and beyond should not be limited by dangers and doubts but should be expanded to meet the very edges of imagination and innovation." This is a very strongly worded thesis, but would have been much better if placed in the starting paragraph. Their side on the topic was acknowledged, but not as well as it could have been if they had set up their thesis correctly.