Morals and Themes

A story's main theme might be difficult to figure out because:

• Authors rarely want the reader to figure it out.

• It has little to do with plot, characters, and other story elements.

• It is rarely stated explicitly.

• Only complicated, adult stories have themes.

What does theme add to a story?

• A sense of location.

• An important message.

• Motivation for the characters

• Dialogue for the characters

Why do the themes in fables tend to be simpler and easier to determine?

• They are intended for children.

• They were written a long time ago.

• Most have appeared as movies.

• Most weren't written in English.

Which best describes the relationship between "themes" and "morals"?

• Morals are communicated through action; themes are communicated through dialogue.

• Themes are designed to teach morals.

• A moral is one kind of theme.

• A theme is made up of repeated morals.

Which characterization best reinforces the theme of the importance of being prepared?

• The hero spends a great deal of time training to defeat a villain.

• The hero lives in a society where every part of your life is planned out in advance.

• The hero fights a villain who can control minds.

• The hero keeps dreaming about the problems he faces.

What is the best definition of theme?

• The events that occur in a story.

• The narrator's opinion of events.

• An underlying lesson.

• An author's purpose in writing the story.

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 moral of the story?

• Some prizes aren't worth the danger.

• Overeating leads to illness.

• Insects value food over safety.

• Always send in a tester.

Which of the following is the least likely to be a theme in a novel about young people going to war?

• Loss of innocence is the first casuality of violence.

• Stealth bombers aren't worth their high cost.

• Friendship is essential to surviving terrible conflict.

• Violence is rarely the right answer.

Read the passage on page 710 in your Literature book.

PART A: What is a universal theme that this folk tale expresses?

• It is good to work for a king.

• Some people talk too much.

• Skill and practice will be rewarded.

• Some people are luckier than others.

PART B: Which phrase from the passage best supports the answer to PART A?

• "Hour after hour he would spend time practicing his aim."

• "I have a little job for you to do."

• "just as the meeting was about to start one mandarin opened his big mouth"

• "Most of my mandarins talk too much."