Theme

Which of the following could be a theme of a story?

• Your past does not define you. 
• returning home after a long time
• A man sees a group of people he used to work for a long time ago. 
• an old man who used to be a farmer

What is the best definition of THEME?

• A universal truth, moral, or idea that the author wants to express. 
• The location and time of the story
• The events that occur in the story
• The author's reason for writing a story

She sobbed for hours trying to think of a way out of having to tell her father she wrecked her new car.  After stewing over it for quite some time, she called her father on his cell phone.  "Thank you," he said.

• Sometimes crying is good for you
• it's important to be honest
• Driving a car is a big responsibility
• expereincing loss/grief is difficult

Ben knew his friend was about to receive a check for not being prepared for class.  This would have been the third day in a row he would have to stand out from recess.  Ben gave the pencil to Tim.  Later, Ben received a check and had to stand out from recess.

• it's hard to stand up for your friends
• it takes courage to help your friends
• don't judge a book by its cover
• sometimes sacrifice is necessary to help others

Themes are universal because ...

• all humans share common experiences
• authors add them to make the writing meaningful
• the entire universe enjoys them
• the stories go on forever

The theme is a lesson learned; the moral of the story.

• True
• False

A theme should be a statement, not just one word. 

• TRUE
• FALSE

Read these three parts of a story. Which part supports the theme "True friends are more valuable than money"?

• He hardly ever had time for his friends, now that he was always running around putting the finishing touches on his mansion. His friends were sad and puzzled, but they tried to be happy for him.

• He returned to find his friends gathered in the ruins of the house, carrying food and clothing. "I can't believe you are all here for me, after how I treated you," he said. "I haven't lost everything at all: I still have what is most important."

• One night, during a terrible thunderstorm, a bolt of lightning struck his roof. The beautiful mansion, with all his money in it, burned to the ground. "I've lost everything," he wailed

The difference between theme and topic is....

• A theme can usually be described in one or two words: "friendship" or "war." A topic, however, is usually expressed using a complete sentence, such as "friendship is more valuable than money," or "war can turn ordinary people into heroes."

• A topic can usually be described in one or two words: "friendship" or "war." A theme, however, is usually expressed using a complete sentence, such as "friendship is more valuable than money," or "war can turn ordinary people into heroes."

Which option below is an example of a solid theme?

• Nemo believed in himself so he was able to accomplish great things

• You need to believe in yourself

• If one puts their mind to something, he/she can accomplish anything