Identifying Theme 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 the 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 the 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

Read the following passage from a story. 
As Tammy strummed the guitar, Chloe looked at her with pride. For so long, Tammy's fingers had clumsily tripped over the strings, but now she played the song with ease. Getting to this point hadn't been easy for Chloe, either. She sighed, trying to bury the memories of all the screaming tantrums Tammy had thrown. Once, she nearly threw her guitar against a wall. But now when Tammy smiled, and the tune of "Sweet Home Alabama" floated out of the instrument, Chloe smiled, too. It had been worth it. 
Which of the following is most likely a theme of the story?

• Playing a musical instrument is too much work. 
• Hard work can bring great rewards.
• Friends shouldn't try to teach each other new things. 
• It's OK to give up on yourself. 

Read the following passage from  a story. 
"AJ is so excited to see you," he heard his mother shout into the phone. She always spoke louder on long-distance calls, as if raising her voice would help it travel across the Atlantic. "Aren't you, AJ?" she demanded.
AJ slumped in his chair, pushing wrinkled peas around his plate. His suitcase stood at attention in the hallway, holding eight weeks worth of shirts, pants, and socks. Suddenly, a loud crash sounded. 
"Patches!" his mother shrieked.
In the hallway, Patches the cat stood next to an overturned suitcase and the remnants of a shattered vase. As AJ's mother rushed to assess the damage, Patches slid up to AJ, rubbing his face against AJ's leg. AJ reached down to stroke him, and Patches looked up, blinking his green eyes.  He stared at AJ with his knowing look - a look that seemed to offer so much and ask for so little in return.
Which of the following is most likely the theme of the story?

• Friendship is worth more than material goods.
• You must confront your past. 
• Pets are more trouble than they're worth. 
• The love of a pet is unlike any other.