Theme

What is theme?

• the message about life that the author expresses

• the time and location of a story- the setting

• sequence of events- beginning, middle, end of a story

• the main events summarized

How do you justify (support) your theme?

• with text evidence

• summarizing the story

• you can't

• summarizing the plot

A theme is the big idea in a story. It's the message about people or the world that the author is trying to get across. Themes are universal, which means they are true in all times and all places. They apply to many different types of people.

Read the following passage from a story.
Rohan triumphantly lifted the trophy above his head. Despite all the obstacles, he had won. Beneath his cheerful exterior, he felt a twinge of the constant pain he’d learned to live with. Almost unconsciously, Rohan removed one hand from the trophy and rubbed the thin red scar that snaked around his ankle. He thought back to the surgery and the weeks spent lying in his bed, unable to compete. The months of exercises to strengthen his leg. “Rohan!” he heard the crowd scream, as if in slow motion. A smile broke across Rohan’s face, shattering his thoughts. He returned his hand to his trophy, firmly grasping it.

Which of the following is most likely a theme of the story?

• Some goals are too hard to achieve even if you try many times.
  
• Through determination, you can overcome big challenges.
  
• You need the support of your family to overcome challenges.
  
• When you achieve a goal, you shouldn’t brag about it.
  

What is the theme of the following passage?

“Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore— While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.…” (The Raven by Edgar Allan

• Fear is an unsettling but powerful emotion.

• Revenge is always an option.

• Always lock your doors.

• The boogie man is alive and well

Alan had very few responsibilities, but one of them was to clean his room. It did not take long, but Alan still didn't like doing it. One day Alan thought of a way to save some time. Rather than putting everything neatly back in its place, he decided to just throw all the stuff on the floor into his closet. His mom would think that he had cleaned his room, and it would only take a fraction of the time. Alan was pleased with himself for thinking of this brilliant idea. He figured that this would save a lot of time and energy. The next time his room got messy, he piled everything up in the closet and the pile grew. It grew and grew. Then Alan's friend Steve called. "Alan, everyone is playing baseball at the park. Do you want to play too?" Alan loved baseball. "That sounds great, Steve. I'll be right there." Alan went to grab his baseball mitt when he realized that it wasn't in its usual place. Alan thought to himself, I guess it's in the closet. When he opened up the closet door, he was faced with a huge, unnavigable mess, some of which poured out as he opened the door. Alan began digging through the pile in a frantic attempt to find his mitt. He dug and dug, and as he dug his room got messier and messier. Soon his room was the messiest that it had ever been, and he still hadn't found his mitt. Alan sighed in despair. By the time he found his mitt, the boys had long concluded their game and Alan had hours of cleaning ahead of him before he'd be allowed to leave.

What is the theme of the story?

• Treat others as you wish to be treated; what goes around, comes around.

• A thing worth doing is worth doing correctly; cutting corners comes at a cost; it is better to do a thing once the right way then many times the wrong way.

• Give credit where credit is due; a good relationship has to have some give and take.

• Do not criticize things that are dear to others, particularly if they are not seeking your criticism

Which of the following best represents a theme related to human nature?

• A detailed map of a fictional world

• The struggle between good and evil

• A biography of a famous historical figure

• An instruction manual for a game

Why is it important to consider a character's growth or change when identifying a theme?

• Because it shows how many friends the character has

• Because it can reflect the consequences of actions and the moral lessons learned

• Because it indicates how many chapters are in the book

• Because it shows the character's favorite food

How can the resolution of the story help identify its theme?

• By showing where the author likes to vacation

• By revealing how the conflicts are resolved and what the characters have learned

• By indicating how many pages are in the final chapter

• By revealing the author's middle name

Unlike the topic of literature, a theme ...

• can be expressed in one word

• always shows the setting

• is always stated directly in the text

• cannot be just one word

Which of the following statements about theme is TRUE?

• Authors NEVER use the same theme twice

• Themes only repeat in short stories

• All poems have the same theme

• The same themes can occur in different stories/different authors