Theme

Finding The Theme

What are the conflicts in the story? How are they resolved?

Stated Theme

A stated theme is DIRECTLY EXPRESSED in a story. It can be underlined. Fables are often good examples of stated theme.

Directly Stated Theme

A directly stated theme can literally be underlined in the text. There is NO guesswork. The author simple TELLS the reader the message he/she is suppose to understand.

Theme

An idea, message, lesson, teaching, or moral a writer wishes to express. The theme of a fable is its moral. The theme of a parable is its teaching. The theme of a piece of fiction is its view about life, society, and how people behave (human nature).

Indirectly Stated Theme

An indirectly stated theme is not directly expressed in a story. The author asks the reader to make inferences or use clues to determine the moral of the story.

Finding The Theme

Check out the title. Sometimes it tells you a lot about the theme.

Finding The Theme

How are characters changing and growing? What lessons are they learning?

Finding The Theme

Notice repeating patterns and symbols. What is repeatedly repeated? Sometimes these lead you to the theme.

Theme

The writer's task is to communicate on a common ground with the reader. Although the particulars of your experience may be different from the details of the story, the general underlying truths behind the story may be just the connection that both you and the writer are seeking

What is Theme

What do you already know about THEME in a story? Define it. Give an example of theme from a short story or book you've read. What is directly stated theme? What is indirectly stated theme?