1. Theme to Thesis

2. #1: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Theme: racism and courage Thesis: One has to have courage to overcome racism ◦ If it was “courage overcomes racism” it would lack a judgment Note 1: Make sure you are thinking about what the author is saying about that theme—what is his/her judgment about it

3. #2: Ender’s Game Thesis: Often deceit causes a person to change for the worst. What is the theme? Notice the judgment: deceit is bad because people make bad changes Main points ◦ Usually when a person is deceived, they base important parts of their lives on a lie ◦ People who are victims of deceit lost their ability to trust in others once the deceit is discovered Note 2: the main points are not plot-based. They should answer “why or how” about the thesis

4. #3: Lord of the Flies Thesis: People’s strong desire for power can often lead to corruption. What is the theme? What is the judgment? Main Points: Desire for power can corrupt one’s goals Power can cause people to make unethical decisions People often gain power by corrupting others into following them

5. #4: Pride and Prejudice Thesis: Love requires sacrifice What is the theme/judgment? Main Points: A person must sacrifice personal ego and be vulnerable in order to experience love Individuals need to overcome their prejudice of others in order to truly experience love Once people find love, they must compromise and make sacrifices for the one’s they love. Note 3: The thesis and main points are not book- specific. They are more general to apply to a greater side of life.

6. #5: The Picture of Dorain Gray When people obsess over the value of youth, devastation in inevitable ◦ What is the theme? What is the judgment? Main points: Youth can lead to superficial opportunities Youth is over-emphasized by society Youth, by definition, will fade and create devastation in its brevity.

7. Notes and reminders Note 1: Make sure you are thinking about what the author is saying about that theme—what is his/her judgment about it Note 2: the main points are not plot-based. They should answer “why or how” about the thesis Note 3: The thesis and main points are not book-specific. They are more general to apply to a greater side of life. Note 4: The idea of the essay is to show how the book relates to all people—how/why it is important. You use the book as your evidence, but you are saying something that is true beyond just the book