Theme vs. Main Idea

Theme vs. Main Idea

Today we're going to learn about theme and main idea. How they're different. How they're similar. But most importantly, what their functions are within literature.

The Quiz Before the Quiz

Answer the following questions before beginning the presentation to assess your understanding of the topic "theme vs. main idea" before you complete this quizizz.

Multiple Choice

What is the definition of theme?

• topic/subject + message = theme

• the topic, or prominent idea, of the story

• a universal idea, lesson, meaning, or message explored throughout a work of literature

• the reason why authors write complex narratives

Multiple Choice

A story can have more than one theme.

• true

• false

Multiple Choice

Every work of literature has a theme?

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

A main idea is:

• the use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities

• a universal idea, lesson, or message explored throughout a work of literature

• the most important or central thought of a paragraph or larger section of text, which tells the reader what the text is about

• visually descriptive or figurative language, especially in a literary work

Multiple Choice

In 8th grade, (almost) every paragraph has a main idea.

• True

• False

Theme is...

"a universal idea, lesson, or message explored throughout a work of literature." (LitCharts 2021)

THEME :)

Every work of literature has one!

Multiple Select

FILL IN THE BLANKS: A theme is a universal ______ , ______ , or message ______ throughout a work of literature." (LitCharts 2021)

• idea

• plan

• lesson

• assignment

• explored

Key Characteristics of Theme:

• Universality (meaning it can be applied to all humans)

• Express broader truths about human experienceNot specific to any one text

• Can be applied to the reader's life

• Not specific to any one text

Themes DO NOT have...

character names OR plot details.

We're talking about those (pesky) abstract ideas again! :)

Multiple Select

Themes (typically) are/do not have: (CHECK ALL THAT APPLY)

• character names

• universality

• broader truths

• plot details

• one word

FINDING THEME

• THINK of your protagonist's journey (AKA Hero's Journey); how do they change throughout the story? What do they learn? How does the main character develop, or evolve, over the course of the story?

• LOOK at the central conflict of the story; what are the opposing forces? Which one wins and why?

• PAY ATTENTION to what the characters say; sometimes the characters will directly state the theme. Look for a repeating symbol, motif, or phrase.

Multiple Select

How can a reader find theme?

• The character directly states it

• In the central conflict of the story

• Considering the protagonist's journey

• Summarizing the first chapter of the story

Multiple Choice

When identifying theme, the reader should consider...

• illustrations

• subject or topic

• length of the story

Now, you may have heard that

themes are NOT one word.

However, thematic concepts CAN be one word. Thematic statements, on the other hand, are usually sentence length.

When distinguishing between the two, think of the words "concept" vs. "statement". A concept is a general idea or notion, like a subject, whereas a statement typically deals with an expression in speech or writing.

You can use the subject to help you find the theme!

Multiple Choice

TRUE OR FALSE: Thematic CONCEPTS are usually sentence length, whereas thematic STATEMENTS can be one word.

• True

• False

How Writer's Communicate Theme

They often use three (3) literary devices (symbol, motif, leitwortstil) to hint at the theme in their text, or work.

OK, great Ms. Horber, but what the heck is leitwortstil ? ! ? !

The 3 little pigs of Theme

Symbol: anything that represents another thing

Motif: an element or idea that recurs throughout a work of literature

Leitwortstil: the use of a repeated phrase to underscore important themes and concepts in a work

Multiple Select

Writers use these three literary devices to hint at theme: (SELECT ALL THAT APPLY)

• symbol

• motif

• anaphora

• metaphor

• leitwortstil

LATER, GATOR...

We'll learn more about these devices later...

For now, let's move on to main idea.

What is main idea?

The main idea is "the most important thought of a paragraph, which tells the reader what the text is about." (Dictionary.com)

Notice...

how we said "paragraph" instead of "book".

This is important to note when thinking about the difference between main idea and theme.

Most people think the main idea IS the theme, but it's not.

The main idea...

• is the most important idea, or concept, that the author wants the reader to take away

• is a summary of the information in the paragraph

• is often found in the first sentence of the paragraph

• is a link to the information in the next paragraph

Main Idea vs. Theme

The most important difference between theme and main idea

is that main ideas are usually found in informational texts

whereas, themes are found in literary texts.

PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Answer these questions to practice determining the difference between theme and main idea.

Multiple Choice

Did you know that the Statue of Liberty was once brown? The Statue of Liberty is made of copper, which over time changes from brown to green because of a chemical reaction called oxidation. As the statue was exposed to air and water, oxidation occurred. This green layer actually protects the statue from further weather damage. What is the main idea of this paragraph?

• Where the Statue of Liberty is located

• How oxidation occurs

• How the Statue of Liberty changed color

Multiple Choice

Sharks can lose up to 30,000 teeth in their lifetime. Sharks have teeth arranged in rows inside their mouths. These teeth do not have roots like human teeth, so they fall out easily. When teeth are lost, new ones push forward from the back rows to replace them. Luckily, sharks continually grow new teeth to replace the thousands they lose. What is the main idea of this paragraph?

• What shark teeth look like

• Sharks lose many teeth over their lifetime.

• Sharks are carnivorous predators.

Multiple Select

Remember "Tell-Tale Heart"?!? Why is The old man was suffocated by an insane man, all because of his eye NOT a theme. Select all that apply.

• It cannot be one word.

• It cannot have plot events.

• It must have a topic and message.

• It cannot have character names.

Read the passage, then answer the question on the next slide.

Panem is a dictatorship ruled by President Snow who relies on authoritarian control. Snow maintains his control by sowing division among Panem’s people by dividing the country into twelve districts to ensure their dependence on the government. Each of the districts specializes in producing particular goods—and only those goods—and therefore relies on centralized distribution in order to survive, and this dependence is further enforced through rules like the one against poaching, which prevents residents from adding to their meager food supply (though this is a rule that Katniss routinely breaks with her hunting).

Multiple Choice

What is the major theme in The Hunger Games hinted at in that recap paragraph.

• Division and control

• Love, loyalty, and compassion

• Social inequality

• Death as entertainment

Read the passage, then answer the question on the next slide.

In The Hunger Games, the tributes’ suffering is considered mass entertainment. The more the tributes suffer, ideally in battle with one another, the more entertaining the Games become. The main draw of the Games for Capitol viewers is being able to watch the tributes fight and die. Katniss talks about what makes the Games successful, and the recurring motif is that viewers want to see the tributes battle and not die too quickly. However, their suffering can be psychological, too. For example, Katniss and Peeta’s romance is the subject of so much fascination because it is presumed to be doomed, which adds drama and suffering to the games, and is considered fun to watch.

Multiple Choice

What is the major theme in The Hunger Games hinted at in that recap paragraph.

• Division and control

• Love, loyalty, and compassion

• Social inequality

• Death as entertainment

The Quiz AFTER the Quiz

Now, that you've learned the difference between theme and main idea, as well as what symbol, motif, and leitwortstil mean, answer the following questions to demonstrate your understanding of the topic "theme vs. main idea".

Multiple Choice

What is the definition of theme?

• topic/subject + message = theme

• the topic, or prominent idea, of the story

• a universal idea, lesson, meaning, or message explored throughout a work of literature

• the reason why authors write complex narratives

Multiple Choice

A main idea is:

• the use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities

• a universal idea, lesson, or message explored throughout a work of literature

• the most important or central thought of a paragraph or larger section of text, which tells the reader what the text is about

• visually descriptive or figurative language, especially in a literary work

Multiple Choice

Thematic concepts CAN be, and often are, one word.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Thematic statements are usually sentence length.

• True

• False

Multiple Select

Authors use WHICH three literary devices to hint at the theme in their text, or work? (SELECT ALL THAT APPLY)

• leitwortstil

• alliteration

• symbol

• motif

Fill in the Blank

The most importance difference between theme and main idea is that main ideas are found in ________ texts and themes are found in ________ texts.