Themes “Good fiction always begins with story and progresses to theme; it almost never begins with theme and progresses to story” -Stephen King

What is theme? “If you write a novel, spend weeks and then months catching it word by word, you owe it both to the book and to yourself to lean back (or take a long walk) when you’ve finished and ask yourself why you bothered—why you spent all that time, why it seemed to so important. In other words, what’s it all about Alfie?” -Stephen King It is important to remember that the first level of the story deals with characters, settings, narrators, and to a lesser extent plot; in discussing theme we are entering a second tier of reading. This is what the author thinks about in the weeks and months after finishing a novel/story/poem. We are discussing his/her editing rather than writing. THEME: The main message or insight an author has to share with humanity about life, society, or the human condition through the telling of his/her tale.

Themes Versus Topics  The subject or topic of a piece = what the piece is about.  When you discuss the question of what a story or poem is about, you are discussing the subject.  Examples  Kid's on an Island.  A bank robbery.  A sunrise.  Two roads that separate in the woods. Topics are often a single word or phrase.

Themes When discussing themes, retelling what a poem is about is like tying your shoes before playing soccer; it is essential to playing soccer, but being able to tie your shoes "don't make you Pele."  The question: Why has the author told me about this in this way? is an important question in the discovery of a theme.  Also important is to realize that, in general, author's use characters who are people by themselves, but represent groups or everybody at large.  Most themes are implied. It is rare that the author will come right out and state the theme, it is something the reader must put together. Theme: what the author has to say about the topic or subject and through the topic or subject about the world and life in general.

Some tricks to finding the theme: Topics  Love  God  Murder Themes  You should follow your heart.  If there is a God, why do bad things happen?  Is murder ever justified? Always remember themes are not topics Themes are opinions or questions posed by the author about topics. (Themes are generally a sentence about the topic.)

Theme in the “Gift of the Magi” Working as a table: (Clearly labeled on a piece of paper.)  State the Topic of the Story  Discuss and state the Theme of the story  Identify a Passage in which the theme is “contained”  you may not use the last paragraph of the story  Discuss and be ready to defend your reasoning