Alex shut the lid to his laptop with a loud clap. Some of the people sitting at the tables near him looked up from their books and gave him annoyed looks. Alex realized that he had disturbed them and held up his hand apologetically. The librarian turned toward him and shushed him loudly, perhaps louder than the noise that he had made. Alex put the laptop in his bag and began walking toward the door. He held his head down low.

What is the setting?

On a visit to a New England boarding school, a group of Philadelphia Academy students get stuck in an ice storm and have to reschedule one of their visits.

What is the conflict?

In his sophomore year of high school, basketball legend Michael Jordan tried out for the varsity basketball team. But at five feet and eleven inches tall, the coach believed that Jordan was too short to play. The coach cut Jordan from the team. Jordan didn’t let this obstacle defeat him. In fact, it pushed him to work even harder. He trained vigorously and grew another four inches the following summer. The next year, Jordan made the varsity squad. He averaged 25 points a game and went on to become one of the greatest basketball players in history.

What is the theme?