Universal Themes in Literature

The theme of a 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?

• the main character in a 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 the 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 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 above is an example of a

• plot.

• character.

• main idea.

• theme.

Read the following sentence.

Friendship helps people get through hard times.

The sentence above 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 above is an example of a

• plot.

• character.

• main idea.

• theme.

Which of the following is an example of theme?

• Cinderella was thoughtful and kind.

• Jack risked his life to save Jane.

• Don't judge people by outward appearances.

• Happiness

Three flies notice an overturned honey pot. Two of the flies decide to land in the honey and start eating it. But the oldest fly stays back. The two flies tease the older fly, but then get stuck in the honey.

What is the theme of this story?

• Some prizes aren't worth it.

• Overeating leads to illness.

• Insects value food over safety.

• Always send a tester.