Theme

The theme of the story is the

• main character

• message about life that the author expresses

• sequence of events

• short summary of what the story is about

What is a main idea or topic?

• the main character in the story

• the message about life that an author expresses

• the sequence of events in a story

• a description of what the story is mostly about

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

• Fear is more dangerous than any beast.

• A brave young girl pretends to be a man and takes her father's place in the army.

• A fear of heights.

• "I'll get you, my pretty, and your little dog, too."

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

• A 35-year-old woman named Essie and her brother.

• A small apartment in Marfa, Texas.

• Telling the truth may cause you pain, but in the end, it's better than lying.

• Essie lied to her brother about her identity for two years, but she finally decided to tell him the truth.

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 with a long time ago.

• An old man who used to be a farmer.

Read the following sentence: A toad and a lizard learn to get along while on a journey through the wilderness. The sentence is an example of a

• plot

• character

• main idea

• theme

Read the following sentence: Friendship helps people get through hard times. The sentence is an example of a

• plot

• character

• main idea

• theme

Read the following sentence: A woman risks her life to spy for the Union during the Civil War. The sentence is an example of a

• plot

• character

• main idea

• theme

What is a theme?

• a story line

• the topic/subject

• a universal truth about life and people

• the time and place of an event

The theme of a piece of literature is the same as its ...

• message
• significance
• subject
• meaning