Response to Literature: THEME THEME ESSAY

What’s the purpose of a writing a THEME essay? AUTHOR’S MESSAGE. Essay= Your understanding of the message from the author Not all themes are necessarily intended by the author. That is irrelevant.

Author’s Message: The Heart of the Story Theme = lesson about life can be applied to human nature/the world Sometimes obvious Sometimes dig deeper You do not have to agree with it. It should be more complex than: People should be nice to each other.

Theme Practice Harry Potter If you’re ever attacked by trolls, you should use the wingardium leviosa spell. When faced with real terror, the real hero is the one who stands up for what is right regardless of the consequences and dangers of doing so. Rainbows are a beautiful part of nature that should be respected.

Once you know the theme… Write it out in a VERY clearly sentence like this: People should be thankful for what they have and not dwell on the things we don’t in order to find true happiness. This will become your THESIS STATEMENT.

Motifs to guide your THESIS: Connections to WWII Civilization vs Savagery Identity Democracy and Dictatorships Maturity Establishing the perfect society Human nature The source of control The source of strength

Introductory Paragraph: Theme Essay Hook___ One-Two Sentence Summary___ Title___ Author___ Theme (Thesis Statement)___

Once you have your topic sentence… How do you know this is the theme? Where is it displayed/shown/developed in the story? Where’s the EVIDENCE? You need 4 examples (events from the story) that back up your theme TWO FOR EACH BODY PARAGRAPH (2 body paragraphs) .