Determine the Theme of a Story

A motif is used to ...

• write an essay.

• write a good theme statement.

• characterize a character.

• determine the conflict in the story.

How many themes can a piece of literature have?

• unlimited

• one or two

• only one

• a handful

What is the theme of a text?

• a universal message

• the main idea

• a topic

• author's purpose

Which one is NOT a theme in "A Christmas Carol: Scrooge and Marley?"

• Money doesn't buy happiness.

• It's never too late to do the right thing.

• It's important to learn from past mistakes.

• Courage comes from facing one's fears.

Which of the following is not one of the steps to writing a thematic statement?

• Write a statement about the author's beliefs about the topic

• Determine what the author believes about one of the topics.

• Brainstorm a list of topics found in the text.

• Google themes in the text you are reading.

Which of the following is true about theme?

• There is usually only one theme in a story.

• The theme makes the story meaningful.

• The theme is stated at the end of a story.

• The theme is obvious.

Greed, death, poverty, kindness, and redemption are all _________________ from "A Christmas Carol: Scrooge and Marley."

• themes

• topics

• messages

• universal ideas

What is the story's main idea or message? 

• theme 

• mood 

• conflict 

• static character 

How do you determine the theme of a story?

• A character tells you at the beginning

• The dialogue between the characters

• When the antagonist creates the conflict

• When the protagonist solves the conflict

The theme is a lesson learned; the moral of the story.

• True

• False