Universal Themes in Literature

What is a theme?

• a story line
• the topic/subject
• a 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

Unlike the topic of literature, a theme ...

• can be expressed in one word
• always shows the setting
• relies on the characters' speech/dialogue
• cannot be just one word

Themes can be all of the following EXCEPT

• a revelation about life
• stated directly in the story
• implied by a characters' actions
• suggested by details in the story

You can often infer the theme of a piece of literature by ...

• evaluating how a character has changed
• sharing a character's experience
• determining how the conflict has resolved
• ALL of the above

Readers can find a clue to a poem's theme in its ...

• author
• title
• rhyme
• rhythm

Which of the following statements about theme is TRUE?

• Authors NEVER use the same theme twice
• Theme only recurs in short stories
• The same theme only recurs in poems
• The same themes recur in different stories/different authors

To identify a theme in a story, a reader can ask ...

• What has the character learned?
• What is the setting?
• Who is the narrator?
• ALL of the above

A theme should be supported by ...

• your own words
• evidence from the text
• rationale/reasoning
• ALL of the above

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