Themes in Literature

With great power comes great responsibility.

A teenager is bitten by a radioactive spider and develops super spider-like abilities.

Theme should be....

- A statement that includes a one-word subject, such as: To have a good friend, you must be a good friend. -Proven with textual evidence.

Theme is NOT...

- One word, like friendship, hope, etc. - The summary or plot A statement about the character. - The main idea

Theme vs. Main Idea

-Theme is a universal message the author implies. Readers must determine the theme from the plot details and character actions. -Main idea is what the story, article, or passage is mostly about, its content and plot details. Main idea is NOT universal.

Theme

Slow and steady wins the race.

Main Idea

A rabbit races a turtle, and the turtle won because he never gave up.

Theme

Theme is the big idea, the message about life that the author expresses in a story, poem, novel, or play. There can be more than one theme in a story.

Universal Theme

Themes that apply to many different types of people and are true in all times and all places.