What’s the Theme? How to identify the theme of a story.

What is a theme? Theme is a term that describes the main idea or message of a poem, story or book. A theme is usually more than one word, but is a brief description about the message that the author wants to get across. When you are looking to find the theme of a story, the first question you should ask yourself is “What is the author trying to say to the reader?”

Think About It… Ask yourself these questions to help discover the theme: How did the character grow or change throughout the book? What did the main character learn? What moral lesson or life lesson could someone take away from the story/book?

Try to be Specific When you think about the theme, don’t just write a one word answer. Use some of the details in the book, to help you write a detailed theme as it related to the characters in the book. For example, if the theme is love or friendship, think about how this played itself out in the story. “The theme of _____ shows that there is no greater love then one who lays down his own life for a friend.”

More than one Theme Many times, books will have more than one theme. One story may include themes of love, hate, jealousy, revenge and death. When this occurs, try to tie all of the events together into one main message. This will be the main theme of the story. Love Hate Jealousy

Look at the Clues! Locating the theme of a story is really quite simple, once you look at the clues. A key clue for finding the theme would be the main character’s thoughts and actions. The character will magnify the theme of the book or story by what he/she says, thinks and does.

What About Fables? Fables are stories that will have a moral for their theme. Aesop’s Fables always have a clear moral lesson that the character learns at the end. For example, in the Hare and the Tortoise, the moral is “ Slow and steady wins the race.” When you are looking for a theme in a fable, they can usually be found in the last line of the fable.

Common Themes in Fiction Love Death Redemption Good vs. Evil Prejudice Revenge Freedom Friendship Individualism Coming of Age Overcoming Fears Starting Over

Talk About It… Think about a movie that you saw recently. Talk about some of the themes that you think were shown throughout the film.

In Conclusion An author of a book is simply weaving together a story. Just think about what the author wants you to remember the most! When you find that, you will have identified the theme!

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