Understanding Theme
Turn to page 3 in your binder Turn to page 3 in your binder. This should be your Literary Terms Review crossword puzzle. We’re going to keep all our literary terms and definitions in one spot in our binder. Take out a sheet of lined notebook paper and label the upper-right corner with your last name and 3b. You will record our next literary term and definition here. You will not need to add anything new to your Table of Contents quite yet.
Keep in mind when recording definitions that wording does not matter Keep in mind when recording definitions that wording does not matter. I will not ask you to memorize definitions word-for-word. Instead, it is more important for you to understand how a literary term is used. This means that you will need to decide what is most important to remember when we go through literary terms in class. Use clues to help you figure out what is most important. Clues might include: Bold-face font Underlining Italics Repeated information or phrasing Keep this in mind as you add the next term to page 3b of your binder. Here it comes…
Theme What exactly is this elusive thing called theme? 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 and how people behave. Essentially, a theme is a comment on humanity, reality, and perhaps society. In fiction, the theme is not intended to teach or preach. In fact, it is not presented directly at all. You extract it from the characters, action, and setting that make up the story. In other words, you must figure out the theme yourself. 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.
Definition Theme – the central insight or truth regarding human experience that is expressed through the fictional world that the writer creates.
Keep this in mind… Themes are generally implied rather than directly stated. Themes are not directives; they do not direct the reader to do or not do something. Example - Not a theme: People should not judge each other based on stereotypes. Theme: People unconsciously use stereotypes to prejudge members of particular groups. The theme is not the plot; however, a statement of theme often emerges from the central conflict of the story. Themes are declarative sentences that relate the specifics of a story to the human experience. Themes are not single concepts or one word abstract ideas Not a theme: Heroism Theme: Devotion to an ideal can make a simple life heroic.
Finding the Theme Here are some ways to uncover the theme in a story: Check out the title because sometimes it tells you about the theme. Notice repeating patterns and symbols as they may lead you to a theme. What are the details and particulars in the story? What greater meaning may they have? Remember that theme, plot, and structure are inseparable, all helping to inform and reflect back on each other. Also, be aware that a theme we determine from a story never completely explains the story. It is simply one of the elements that make up the whole. A story may have more than one theme.