1. Proving Theme Assignment Practice proving the theme of a story. A.Write one of the sentences describing the theme we’ve discussed. B.Think of three or more events or details from the story that seem to support this theme. C.Find one quote for each event or detail that proves the detail exists. D.(Most important) Explain how these details show the theme.

2. Proving Theme: Example People only understand the world based on their own experiences and culture and can’t believe anything that doesn’t fit that. – Mrs. Ttt, Mr. Aaa, and the little girl don’t notice that the earth men might be telling the truth. “Do you have to be in a certain line of work to welcome Earth Men?” “Don’t be silly, everyone knows that!” (p. 20). – Mr. Xxx hears the details of the Earth Men’s trip and is amazed, but doesn’t believe them. “Incredible… Most detailed dream fantasy I’ve ever heard.”(p.28) – Even when Mr. Xxx kills the Earth Men and the rocket remains, he can’t accept that they might have been telling the truth and kills himself. “’Go away,’” he shouted at the bodies. ‘Go away!” He screamed at the ship… ‘Now I’m insane. Now I’m contaminated.’(p. 30)

3. Proving Theme: Example People only understand the world based on their own experiences and culture and can’t believe anything that doesn’t fit that. In the beginning of the story, the Earth men arrive on Mars, but nobody seems impressed by their achievement. All of the people they meet just pass them on to someone else. The Earth men ask Mr. Iii, “Do you have to be in a certain line of work to welcome Earth Men” (20). Mr. Iii responds, “Don’t be silly, everyone knows that!” (20). This shows that the people of Mars are doing things the way they’ve always done them instead of noticing the details that might prove the Earth men are telling the truth.

4. Proving Theme: Example People act rashly when they are emotional – Captain Black was a logical, rational captain. “I like to be as logical as I can be” (p. 39). – Captain Black stopped being logical and broke his own rule when he saw his brother. “The old house. The captain stared in delighted amaze.” “See that captain. They couldn’t help themselves.” (p.43) – When the emotion of the situation was over, Captain Black could think logically again and realized the truth. “He could think logically now. It had all been emotion. The bands playing, the familiar faces.” (p. 45) Captain Black was the main character who was the most logical of the men. He thought things through carefully and was wary and suspicious. When he saw his brother, though, he forgot all that. He rushed to see his parents and didn’t even make the men check in at night. When he could finally relax and stop feeling so much emotion, he realized the truth. This shows that he could have figured it out before if he hadn’t been so caught up in the emotion of the situation, so he acted rashly because of emotion.

5. Proving Theme: Example People only understand the world based on their own experiences and culture and can’t believe anything that doesn’t fit that. – Mrs. Ttt, Mr. Aaa, and the little girl don’t notice that the earth men might be telling the truth. “Do you have to be in a certain line of work to welcome Earth Men?” “Don’t be silly, everyone knows that!” (p. 20). – Mr. Xxx hears the details of the Earth Men’s trip and is amazed, but doesn’t believe them. “Incredible… Most detailed dream fantasy I’ve ever heard.”(p.28) – Even when Mr. Xxx kills the Earth Men and the rocket remains, he can’t accept that they might have been telling the truth and kills himself. “’Go away,’” he shouted at the bodies. ‘Go away!” He screamed at the ship… ‘Now I’m insane. Now I’m contaminated.’(p. 30)

6. Proving Theme: Example People only understand the world based on their own experiences and culture and can’t believe anything that doesn’t fit that. In the beginning of the story, the Earth men arrive on Mars, but nobody seems impressed by their achievement. All of the people they meet just pass them on to someone else. The Earth men ask Mr. Iii, “Do you have to be in a certain line of work to welcome Earth Men” (20). Mr. Iii responds, “Don’t be silly, everyone knows that!” (20). This shows that the people of Mars are doing things the way they’ve always done them instead of noticing the details that might prove the Earth men are telling the truth.