1. Determining Themes and Central Ideas
Fiction and Nonfiction
Point of View, Inferences, Author’s Purpose

2. Standard for Reading Literature
2. Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text.

3. Determining Themes in Fiction
A theme is a message about or an insight into life.
In other words, it is the main idea of a work of fiction.
It is expressed in a statement, meaning a complete sentence.
Themes are developed through characters—their decisions, experiences, and insights.

4. 2 Types of Themes
Stated themes are expressed directly in the text by the writer.
Implied themes are revealed gradually through elements such as plot, characters, setting, point of view, symbol, and irony.

5. Implied Themes Implied themes are more frequent.
READERS must determine the theme through examination of characters and story patterns.

6. Generalization from Pattern:
Example
Story Details
Alex demands that Bob and Jake bully Ryan.
Jake refuses. Bob bullies Ryan but feels bad afterward.
Story Patterns
Contrast: Jake stands up for what he believes; Bob does not.
Before-and-After: Bob acts against his better judgment and feels terrible.
Generalization from Pattern:
People who act against their better judgment may feel bad afterward.
Implied Theme
Stay true to your own values.

7. Your Turn
For the following example passage, determine the following information:
How is this a before-and-after story pattern? Fill in the details that support the pattern.
What generalization can we make from this pattern?
What then, is the implied theme of this text?

8. Before-and-After Pattern
A man went to a fancy party where he, along with several other guests, was to be honored. Dressed in ordinary clothes, the man was overlooked—no host greeted him, no guests chatted with him, no servants served him. The man went home, put on his best clothes, and returned to the party. Now the host introduced himself and commanded the servers to bring food to the man. When the man offered the food to his dress coat, the host was puzzled. The man explained that his clothes should have the food, since the host was actually honoring them.

9. Example
Story Pattern
Before-and-After: Treatment of guest before and after his change of clothes.
Generalization
The host and servants respond to clothing.
Implied Theme
People should be judged by their characters, not their clothing.

10. Standard for Reading Informational Text
2. Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to supporting ideas; provide an objective summary of the text.

11. Determining Central Ideas in Nonfiction
Nonfiction works develop central ideas through the use of supporting details.
A central idea is a key point the author wants to make.
All the details in the text develop and support the central idea by:
Proving it
Explaining it
Illustrating it
Giving further details

12. Determining Central Ideas
In most cases, the author directly states the central idea near the beginning of the text.
In other cases, the central idea is implied by the points the author makes.
We readers can infer the central idea by determining what point all of the details combine to support.

13. The Role of the Paragraph
Each paragraph in nonfiction develops its own main idea.
This main idea is used to support the main idea of the whole text.
The main idea of a paragraph is often stated in a topic sentence.
The topic sentence is then supported by reasons, examples, and other details in the paragraph.
All details in each paragraph, as well as each paragraph itself, serve the larger purpose of developing the central idea of the whole work.

14. Central Idea: Our town should build a skate park for skateboarders.
Topic Sentence:
A park would keep skateboarders out of the street.
Skateboarders would no longer damage public property, such as curbs.
A park would inspire skateboarders to take pride in our town.

15. Central Idea
How a text’s central idea is developed is directly related to the author’s purpose, or reason for writing.
Example Purposes: To inform, to persuade, to entertain

16. Rock climbing is dangerous.
Purpose
Angle
To inform
To persuade
To entertain
Include facts about accidents.
Add arguments about the need for safety.
Include comical details about a rock climbing experience.

17. Author’s Purpose
Modes of Writing

18. Three Reasons for Writing
To Inform (Expository)
To Persuade (Persuasive)
Entertain (Narrative or Poetry)

19. Remember: Expository = Expose
Writing to Inform
Often called expository writing.
Expository writing shows or explains facts.
Examples:
Biography of Barack Obama
News report about a shooting
Note to a friend
Essay about “killer bees”
Remember: Expository = Expose

20. Writing to Persuade Attempts to influence the reader.
Usually makes an argument.
Examples:
Political speeches
Advertisements
A cover letter for your resume
An essay urging readers to recycle

21. Examples of Writing to Entertain
Narratives: stories.
Have a beginning, middle, and end
A story may have a lesson, but the author’s main purpose is to entertain.
Examples of Writing to Entertain
Harry Potter books
Poems about love
Narrative essay about the big game
Script for a TV show

22. Is it a story, poem, or drama (script)?
Yes No
Does the text make arguments?
Yes No
Does the text give facts?
Yes No
Start
Over
Entertain
Persuade
Inform

23. Review
Informative or expository writing provides factual information about a topic.
Persuasive writing expresses an opinion (may use facts to support).
All narratives are written to entertain, but so is poetry.

24. Practice
You will be graded on participation and completion, not on accuracy.
On a separate sheet of paper, number one through ten.
I will describe a piece of writing.
You will write the author’s purpose: to inform, persuade, or entertain.

25. 1
The story of a teenage boy learning to understand and live with his father, who is an alcoholic Vietnam war veteran.

26. 2
A list of the 25 richest athletes in the world.

27. 3
An article arguing why Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player ever.

28. 4
An “X-men” comic book.

29. 5
The story about a young girl with low self-esteem learning to love herself.

30. 6
A National Geographic article about the eating and breeding habits of the endangered bald eagle.

31. 7
A website saying that a new shopping mall should not be built because it threatens an endangered bald eagle’s home. The website also lists other reasons why the mall should not be built.

32. 8
A poem about bald eagles.

33. 9
A magazine ad telling you to buy Nike Hyperdunk shoes because you’ll jump higher.

34. 10
A sign saying, “Rest Stop Five Miles Ahead.”

35. Answers 1. Entertain 2. Inform 3. Persuade 4. Entertain 5. Entertain

36. In summary:
We readers determine themes in fiction, central ideas in nonfiction.
Themes can be directly stated or implied through careful examination of characters and story patterns.
Themes are expressed in a statement, or a complete sentence.
Central ideas are the main ideas identified and developed in nonfiction.
Usually, central ideas are directly stated by the author at the beginning of a text.
Each paragraph in a nonfiction text contains a central idea with supporting details, and each paragraph serves to support the central idea of the work as a whole.
An author’s purpose for writing determines how a central idea will be developed.
Both themes and central ideas will be supported through details in the text, and it is our job as readers to figure out what the theme/idea is. It’s the “so what?” of our reading.

37. A Birthday Mystery

38. Mystery box!

39. Wait a minute… Holes! Heavy! Moving! Scratching! Whimpering!
A small bark?

40. It’s a birthday puppy!

41. What did you just do to solve the mystery of my birthday gift?

42. MAKING INFERENCES means
Reading between the lines
Background Knowledge + Text Clues = Inference

43. You may hear it called Infer Inferring Inference It is not guessing!
What can you infer about…
Inferring
By saying the gift was a new puppy, you were inferring.
Inference
Make an inference about…
It is not guessing!

44. When will I EVER make an inference?
You remember seeing a note go home to your mom in your take-home folder. The note was a reminder that picture day is tomorrow.

45. Cluing in…
You wake up early for school. As you sit at the kitchen table eating breakfast, you hear your mom rummaging through your closet.

46. What can you infer from this?
Finally ready to get dressed for your school day, you walk into your room and find your nicest shirt and slacks neatly pressed and laid out on your bed.

47. Let’s try these practices with a partner.

48. I see bubbles rising. I hear my own breathing
I see bubbles rising. I hear my own breathing. There are fish swimming above me. I feel the seaweed swaying.
Can you infer where I am and what I am doing?

49. Scuba diving in the sea!

50. I hear screaming. My stomach feels funny. Can you see my hair blowing
I hear screaming. My stomach feels funny. Can you see my hair blowing? I’m feeling excited!
Can you infer where I am and what I am doing?

51. I’m on a roller coaster ride!

52. Can you infer what is shown in these mysterious pictures?

57. MAKING INFERENCES means
Reading between the lines
Background Knowledge + Text Clues = Inference
All images copyright 2007 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

58. Point of View
A bird’s
eye view of
Sequoyah

59. Yankee Stadium

61. Point of View:
The angle or perspective from which
a story is told.
It allows the reader to get inside a
character’s head.
Three points of view:
First person 
Second Person
Third Person

62. First Person Point of View: 
The character tells the story.
Uses pronouns:
I, me, mine, ours, and us
“I checked into a hotel called the Olympia, which is right on the main street of town. I was hanging around and I got to talking to the guy at the desk. I asked him if this wasn’t the town where that kid named Maneri played ball.”

63. Second Person Point of View: 
Rarely used in novels.
Most TV commercials use this viewpoint.
Uses pronouns:
you, you, yours.
“You walk down 5th Avenue everyday on your
way to work. Today on a whim you stop at
the flower stall and buy a red carnation. The
saleslady helps you pin it to your lapel. You
pay her and merge back into the crowd.”

64. Third Person Point of View: 
Told from a narrator’s viewpoint.
Uses pronouns:
He, she, him, her, it, them,
its, theirs, his, and hers
Two types of third person:
1. Limited
2. Omniscient (all knowing)

65. Limited Third Person Point of View:
The narrator tells the inner thoughts
and feelings of only one character.
“Angela felt cold as she waited on the corner for the bus. After about ten minutes, the bus came to the corner where she stood. She got on the bus and then realized that she had no coins to put in the fare box.”

66. Omniscient Third Person:
Tells what any character in a story
thinks, feels, or does at any time.
Kurt was thinking about tomorrow’s costume
party. He had come up with an idea of what
to wear.
“Kurt, are you going tomorrow?” asked
Claire. She had a prize-winning idea that
she would not tell anyone. She smiled to
herself as she thought of the large box and
blue tissue paper waiting at home.

67. Third Person Omniscient
Guess the Point of View:
First Person
Third Person Limited
Third Person Omniscient
(all knowing)

68. Rewrite the following passage in first person or in third person.
Your alarm doesn’t go off on time and
you jump out of bed and trip on your
book bag. When you finally get to the
bus stop you see the bus just turning
the corner. You missed it. You start
walking to school and realize your shoes
don’t match. You have on one tennis
shoe and one loafer.