1. Theme What it is, How we find it, and its presence in 1984

2. What Is Theme?
What makes a story linger in our hearts and minds long after we’ve read it? Often it is the idea on which the story is built—its theme.

3. What Is Theme?
Theme—the central idea, or insight, about life or human behavior that a story reveals
Living a simple life leads to greater personal freedom.
The deepest loneliness is sometimes felt when we are among friends.

4. What Is Theme?
Genres
Themes are also important to other genres, or forms of literature, such as novels, plays, poems, and even nonfiction works.

5. What Is Theme?
In most stories, the theme is not stated directly. Instead, it is revealed to us through the characters’ experiences.

6. Universal Themes
Different writers from different cultures often express similar themes.
A theme is a generalization about life or human nature.
Certain types of experiences are common to all people everywhere.

7. Universal Themes Universal themes
come up again and again in literature
deal with basic human concerns—good and evil, life and death, love and loss
shine a light on our common experiences
can help guide us through our lives

8. Universal Themes A B Quick Check
Match these familiar stories to the appropriate universal theme.
Stories
The Little Red Hen
Beauty and the Beast
The Three Little Pigs
The Ugly Duckling
The Frog Prince A
It pays to work hard and plan ahead. B
Appearances can be deceiving.
[End of Section]

9. Universal Themes A B A A B B B Quick Check
Match these familiar stories to the appropriate universal theme.
Stories
The Little Red Hen
Beauty and the Beast
The Three Little Pigs
The Ugly Duckling
The Frog Prince A B A A
It pays to work hard and plan ahead. B B B
Appearances can be deceiving.

10. Finding the Theme
Keep the following guidelines in mind when you want to find and state the theme of a work.
The theme is not the same thing as the subject.
The subject is simply the topic. It can be stated in a single word, such as loyalty.
The theme makes some revelation about the subject and should be expressed in a sentence: “Loyalty to a leader is not always noble.”

11. Finding the Theme
Writers often express theme through what their characters learn.
Does the main character change?
Does a character realize something he or she did not know before?

12. Finding the Theme Conflict helps reveal theme.
What is the conflict, or struggle between opposing forces, that the main character faces?
How is the conflict resolved?
Conflict
Resolution
Theme
Two friends find a wallet. One friend wants to return it to the owner; the other wants to keep it.
They return the wallet and share a small reward.
People are often rewarded for making the right moral decision.

13. Finding the Theme Sometimes the title gives clues.
Does the title have a special meaning?
Does it point to the theme?
The theme applies to the entire work.
Test your statement of the theme. Does it apply to the whole work, not just to parts of it?

14. Finding the Theme There is no single way to state the theme.
People may express the same theme in different words.
There may be different opinions about what the main theme is.
The most meaningful literary works often have more than one theme.

15. Finding the Theme Quick Check
What is the conflict and how is it resolved?
Because of a feud over a piece of land, Ulrich and George are bitter enemies. One night they encounter each other on the disputed land. Each thinks of killing the other. Suddenly a huge tree falls and pins them both under its weight.
At first the men threaten each other. After a while, however, they notice each other’s suffering, make a pact of friendship, and look forward to being rescued and living in peace. Then they are attacked by wolves.
synopsis of “The Interlopers” by Saki
What do the characters learn?

16. Finding the Theme Quick Check
What is the conflict and how is it resolved?
Because of a feud over a piece of land, Ulrich and Georg are bitter enemies. One night they encounter each other on the disputed land. Each thinks of killing the other. Suddenly a huge tree falls and pins them both under its weight.
At first the men threaten each other. After a while, however, they notice each other’s suffering, make a pact of friendship, and look forward to being rescued and living in peace. Then they are attacked by wolves.
synopsis of “The Interlopers” by Saki
Two men are fighting over a piece of land. They put the feud behind them when they are both facing possible death.

17. Finding the Theme Quick Check What do the characters learn?
Because of a feud over a piece of land, Ulrich and Georg are bitter enemies. One night they encounter each other on the disputed land. Each thinks of killing the other. Suddenly a huge tree falls and pins them both under its weight.
At first the men threaten each other. After a while, however, they notice each other’s suffering, make a pact of friendship, and look forward to being rescued and living in peace. Then they are attacked by wolves.
synopsis of “The Interlopers” by Saki
Survival is more important than land ownership. Letting go of hatred feels good.

18. Finding the Theme Quick Check
What is the theme? (State it in a sentence.)
Because of a feud over a piece of land, Ulrich and Georg are bitter enemies. One night they encounter each other on the disputed land. Each thinks of killing the other. Suddenly a huge tree falls and pins them both under its weight.
At first the men threaten each other. After a while, however, they notice each other’s suffering, make a pact of friendship, and look forward to being rescued and living in peace. Then they are attacked by wolves.
synopsis of “The Interlopers” by Saki

19. Finding the Theme Quick Check
What is the theme? (State it in a sentence.)
Because of a feud over a piece of land, Ulrich and Georg are bitter enemies. One night they encounter each other on the disputed land. Each thinks of killing the other. Suddenly a huge tree falls and pins them both under its weight.
At first the men threaten each other. After a while, however, they notice each other’s suffering, make a pact of friendship, and look forward to being rescued and living in peace. Then they are attacked by wolves.
synopsis of “The Interlopers” by Saki
If you wait until tragedy strikes to make peace with your enemies, you may not be able to enjoy the rewards of forgiveness.

20. Making a Judgment
Don’t accept a story’s theme as valid just because the story is in print. Instead, ask yourself:
Is this story’s view of life too simplistic? Too idealistic? Too cynical?
Is the writer trying to push an idea that does not reflect real life?

21. Making a Judgment Quick Check
Classify each theme as either valid or not valid. Explain your choices.
True love solves all of life’s problems.
People who have a lot of money or power are sometimes greedy for more.
People who do good deeds will be happy and will not suffer.

22. Making a Judgment Quick Check
Classify each theme as either valid or not valid. Explain your choices.
True love solves all of life’s problems.
not valid (too idealistic)
People who have a lot of money or power are sometimes greedy for more.
valid (true to life)
People who do good deeds will be happy and will not suffer.
not valid (too idealistic)

23. Themes in 1984

24. Language and Communication
In 1984, language is of central importance to behavior control. The major proposition is that if control of language were centralized in a state, then the possibility of rebellion or disobedience would be eliminated. This book devotes significant time to examining the centrality of language – explicitly, through Goldstein’s manifesto, or contextually, as in when Syme and Winston speak of the Newspeak dictionary – to history, culture, life, behavior, thoughts, concepts, and power.
In 1984, language is of central importance to behavior control. The major proposition is that if control of language were centralized in a state, then the possibility of rebellion or disobedience would be eliminated. This book devotes significant time to examining the centrality of language – explicitly, through Goldstein’s manifesto, or contextually, as in when Syme and Winston speak of the Newspeak dictionary – to history, culture, life, behavior, thoughts, concepts, and power.
In 1984, language is of central importance to behavior control. The major proposition is that if control of language were centralized in a state, then the possibility of rebellion or disobedience would be eliminated. This book devotes significant time to examining the centrality of language – explicitly, through Goldstein’s manifesto, or contextually, as in when Syme and Winston speak of the Newspeak dictionary – to history, culture, life, behavior, thoughts, concepts, and power.
Language and Communication
In 1984, language is of central importance to behavior control.
If control of language were centralized in a state, then the possibility of rebellion or disobedience would be eliminated.
This book devotes significant time to examining the centrality of language – explicitly through…
Explicitly through Goldstein’s manifesto
Contextually to history, culture, life, behavior, thoughts, concepts, and power.
Syme and Winston speak of the Newspeak dictionary

25. Theme of Power
1984 is not just about totalitarianism; it makes us live through totalitarianism.
The Party wants power for its own sake. The Party carefully monitors the behavior of all of its constituents.
Morning group exercises are mandatory.
The Party demands that all loyalty created in private be severed, and that the only acceptable loyalty is loyalty to the Party.
The Party condemns sex, and brainwashes its constituents.
The Party recognizes no concept of a "family" other than the collective family under rule by the Party.

26. Theme of Power
The Party controls everything – the past, the present, and the future – by controlling historical records, language, and even thought.
The Party tortures and "vaporizes" those who harbor rebellious thoughts.
The state suffers through constant warfare. The conditions are dilapidated, but the citizens do not know better.
Classism exists everywhere, and different classes generally do not socialize with each other.

27. Theme of Warfare
1984 depicts warfare as a necessary tool and symptom of a totalitarian state.
Oceania, one of the three superstates of the world, is in constant warfare with one of the other two.
This is necessary, as warfare keeps citizens in constant flux and fear – they then willingly submit to the control of the Party.
Only after this submission can the Party regulate supply and demand to ensure classism, and ultimately, power.

28. Theme of Violence
1984 details at length the effectiveness of torture as a tool to control subversion in a totalitarian state (or simply one where rights are not central to governing principles).
Here, though, torture is not limited to physical suffering, but also encompasses mind control, brainwashing, and indoctrination.
The branch of government that oversees torture at Oceania is ironically named the Ministry of Love.
It is, however, effective; through torture, the Ministry is able to transform rebellious minds into loving, accepting ones.

29. Theme of Technology and Modernization
Modernization in 1984 takes the form of technology, used for controlling means.
By placing telescreens and clandestine microphones all across Oceania, the Party monitors its constituents 24/7.
At work, in the comforts of their own home, even in the countryside or giant plazas and marketplaces, Oceanians cannot expect privacy.
The Party’s use of advanced surveillance technology is only one of the methods it employs to ensure and ascertain control.

30. Theme of Manipulation
The Party seeks to control everything – past, present, and future. Its first effort toward attaining that goal is to control and manipulate every source of information, rewriting and modifying the content of all historical records and other documentary evidence for its own gain.
The Party forbids its members to keep written records of their lives, and mandates that any photographs or documents be destroyed through "memory holes" placed throughout Oceania.
Since memory is unreliable, over time, reality becomes fuzzy at best, and citizens are soon willing to believe whatever the Party informs them. Thus, the Party manipulates the past in order to control the present

31. Theme of Loyalty & Repression
A successful totalitarian state cannot accommodate private loyalties, since private loyalties will often trump loyalty to the Party.
Because sex and family create private loyalties, the Party must somehow control these social acts and constructs.
The Party brainwashes children to believe that sex is despicable, unpleasurable, and merely a means to create new Party members.
Chastity is encouraged, sexual drives become repressed, sex is seen as a "duty to the Party," and all potential private loyalties are thus eliminated.
Therefore, the Party in 1984 seeks to ensure that the only and ultimate loyalty its members have will be loyalty for the Party.

32. Theme of Rebellion 1984 is all about rebellion.
Winston starts a diary for rebellious thoughts. He then becomes concerned with grand-scale, organized resistance to the Party’s rule, and joins the Brotherhood.
Julia contents herself with private acts of rebellion, by engaging in sex and wearing makeup.
Either way, Winston and Julia are not content with conformity to the Party’s rule or principles. And the Party devotes substantial resources to detecting rebellion and subversion.

33. Theme of Memory and The Past
The Party seeks to control everything – past, present, and future. Another effort towards attaining that goal is to control its constituents’ memory.
Without memory, the people cannot know the past. Without memory, the Party is able to control history.
By controlling the past, the Party also controls the present – because its constituents will accept everything the Party says.
In order to control the collective memory of its constituents, the Party forbids its members to keep written records of their lives, and mandates that any photographs or documents be destroyed through "memory holes" placed throughout Oceania.
Since memory is unreliable unless corresponding reality may confirm it, over time, reality becomes fuzzy at best, and Party members are soon willing to believe whatever the Party tells them.
Thus, the Party manipulates the past in order to control the present, thanks to our ever-failing memory.