Identifying Literary Themes

What is the theme of a story.

• What the story mostly is about.

• The message, lesson, or moral of a story.

• What the narrator says in the story.

• A story's setting.

Eleanor invited the new girl, Jessica, over to play. When Jessica arrived, she didn't bother to wipe her shoes. She got mud all over Eleanor's white bedroom carpet and didn't even say sorry. Then, she hopped onto Eleanor's bed and took out a cherry juice box. When cherry juice dripped onto Eleanor's tan comforter, Jessica just shrugged. Later, when Jessica was eating some Cheetos, she wiped the orange powder on her fingers onto Eleanor's pillowcase. When Jessica left, Eleanor called all of her friends to tell them what had happened. Jessica was never invited to play at any of their houses again. What is the theme of this passage?

• Jessica should have been less messy if she wanted to make friends.

• Don't eat when you're over at a friends house.

• You should always respect other people's property.

Derek's mother and father were billionaires. Derek always got everyting that he wanted. When Derek was three, his parents paid the cast of Sesame Street to come to his birthday party. In fifth grade, when Derek wanted to win the Science Fair, his parents paid a tutor to create an award-winning project. In tenth grade, when Derek wanted to be the best soccer player, his parents paid for David Beckham to privately train him. By the time Derek was an adult, he was bored and struggled to find anything meaningful to do. None of the things that he could buy with his money made him happy anymore. What is the theme of this passage?

• Derek is unhappy because he alwys got everthing he ever wanted as a child.

• Money can't buy happiness.

• You should save your money to buy things later in life.

Liza's book report was due tomorrow. Her teacher had given the class an entire month to complete it. Many of Liza's friends were already finished, but Liza hadn't even started hers yet. When she got home, she saw a note from her dad that read, "Surprise! We're all going to the hockey game tonight. Your homework must be done first." Liza loved hockey and couldn't believe her bad luck. She'd never get her book report done before the game. Later, when her family left for the game, Liza had to say home to finish her book report. She vowed to herself that next time she would be sure to start it sooner. What is the theme of this passage?

• Everybody has to deal with bad luck at one time or another.

• Don't put things off until the last minute.

• Liza didn't get to go to the hockey game because she had to finish her report.

"You must clean your room before your baseball game," Stephen's mom stated. Stephen hated cleaning his room. Because he wanted to get it over with as quickly as possible, he threw all of his clothes and toys into a huge pile in his closet and closed the door. "Done!" Stephen exclaimed. Right before it was time to leave for the game, Stephen's mother went into Stephen's room to get his uniform out of the closet. All of his clothes and toys came tumbling out. "Stephen!" she shouted. "if you would have cleaned your room properly in the first place, you wouldn't have to stay home and clean it all over again." What is the theme of this passage?

• Children should keep their rooms clean at all times.

• It's better to do things correctly the first time.

• Stephen should have listened to his mother the first time.

Anthony and his classmates decided to play basketball at recess. During the game, Anthony wanted to prove that he was the best player of all. Every time Anthony got the ball, he dribbled it all around the court until he could shoot and make the basket. He never even looked to see if anyone else on his team was open. He just ignored his teammates when they yelled, "Pass!" Because Anthony scored a lot of points for his team during that game, he figured that everyone would want him to be on their team from now on. The next day, Anthony stood there as everyone around him got chosen first. What is the theme of this passage?

• Don't be greedy.

• Players should always pass the ball to their teammates.

• People will be jealous of you if you're the best.

Brynn and Nicole were uhappy when Mrs. Smith assigned them to be partners for a project. Because they didn't get along, they decided to work separately on different parts of the project. When the draft was due, Brynn noticed that the design and artwork of Nicole's part was much better than hers. Nicole noticed that Brynn had done a lot of research and that her writing was stronger than hers. Seeing each other's strengths, Brynn asked Nicole if she wanted to work together on the final draft. That way, they could each focus on what they did best. In the end, their projet received the highest grade in the class. What is the theme of this passage?

• Brynn and Nicole should have worked together from the beginning.

• There's alway a way to get along with someone else.

• Working together can lead to a better result.

These books have characters who work together to solve problems. What universal theme is that?

• compassion

• cooperation

• courage

• kindness