Theme

1
Theme

• Definition of theme
• Elements of Theme
• How to find themes
• Examples of themes

2
Theme defined

• A central idea or truth that a work of
  literature expresses
• A comment that a work of literature makes on the
  human condition

3
Theme Versus Subject

• Subject what a work is about. It can usually
  be expressed in one word. For example, Love
  is a subject of Romeo and Juliet
• Theme What does the work say about the subject?
  It should be a complete sentence or statement.
  For example, In Romeo and Juliet, we learn that
  adolescent romance can be a stronger force than
  family ties.

4
Theme must go beyond the book

• To be a true theme, the truth or comment must
  apply to people or to life in general, not just
  the characters in the book. For example, In
  Beauty and the Beast, Belle learns that true
  beauty comes from within, only applies to the
  story. Instead, express the theme like this
  In Beauty and the Beast, we learn through Belle
  and the beast that true beauty comes from
  within.

5
Multiple themes are possible!

• Many books have more than one theme, so do not
  think that there is one right theme to any book
  you read. In fact, most great literature has
  multiple themes.

6
Themes must be supported!

• Just because works can have multiple themes, it
  does not mean that the theme can be anything that
  you want.
• In order for a theme to be justified, there must
  be specific, concrete evidence from the text.
  For example, if your potential theme statement is
  that Poverty creates tough, self-reliant
  people, then the book should contain examples of
  poor characters who develop toughness and
  self-reliance.

7
Finding the theme

• Asking questions
• What is the subject?
• What does the book say, or teach us, about the
  subject?
• How does the work communicate the theme? In
  other words, what specific details, characters,
  actions, incidents, etc, suggest the truth of the
  theme statement?

8
Possible Theme Questions

• Questions about the nature of humanity
• Does the author think that humans are good or
  flawed?
• What good things do people do?
• How are people flawed?
• To what extent are people flawed?

9
Questions about Society

• Does the society help people or hurt them?
• Are characters in conflict with society?
• Do characters want to escape the society?
• Is the society flawed?
• If so, how?

10
Questions about humans and the world

• Do characters control their lives? Do they make
  free choices?
• Are characters driven by forces beyond their
  control?
• Does the world have some grand scheme, or is it
  random and arbitrary?

11
Questions about Ethics

• What are the moral conflicts in the work?
• Are right and wrong clear cut in the story?
• Does right win over wrong, or vice versa?
• To what extent are characters to blame for their
  actions.

12
Sample Theme Statements

• The theme of The Old Man and the Sea is that
  striving, struggling, and suffering are the only
  ways to achieve victory.
• In My Antonia, Willa Cather demonstrates that the
  land is what makes people happy and fulfilled.
• In Lord of the Flies, William Golding suggests
  that a democracy is better than a dictatorship.