1. Theme What Is Theme? Universal Themes Finding the Theme Making a Judgment Practice Feature Menu

2. 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. What Is Theme?

3. Theme—life lesson; the moral of the story. What you learn from the story. Genres Living a simple life leads to greater personal freedom. The deepest loneliness is sometimes felt when we are among friends. What Is Theme?

4. In most stories, the theme is not stated directly. [End of Section] What Is Theme?

5. shine a light on our common experiences Universal themes come up again and again in literature deal with basic human concerns—good and evil, life and death, love and loss Universal Themes

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

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

8. 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 theme should be expressed in a sentence: “Loyalty to a leader is not always noble.” Finding the Theme

9. Writers often express theme through what their characters learn. Identify the main character. Does the main character change? Does the main character stay the same? Finding the Theme

10. Conflict Types Person vs. Self- “The Black Cat” “The Cask of Amontillado” Person vs. Nature Person vs. Person Person vs. Society Person vs. Supernatural

11. Conflict helps reveal theme. Identify the main conflict. Find how it is resolved. What does the character learn from the conflict? Two friends find a wallet. One friend wants to return it to the owner; the other wants to keep it. People are often rewarded for making the right moral decision. They return the wallet and share a small reward. ConflictResolutionTheme Finding the Theme

12. What is the conflict and how is it resolved? Finding the Theme Quick Check 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 What do the characters learn?

13. Two men are fighting over a piece of land. They put the feud behind them when they are both facing possible death. What is the conflict and how is it resolved? Finding the Theme Quick Check 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

14. Survival is more important than land ownership. Letting go of hatred feels good. What do the characters learn? Finding the Theme Quick Check 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

15. What is the theme? (State it in a sentence.) Finding the Theme Quick Check 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 [End of Section]

16. If you wait until tragedy strikes to make peace with your enemies, you may not be able to enjoy the rewards of forgiveness. Finding the Theme Quick Check 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 What is the theme? (State it in a sentence.)

17. Valid Theme- Realistic Invalid- Too idealistic Formula Fiction Making a Judgment

18. Classify each theme as either valid or not valid. Explain your choices. Making a Judgment Quick Check 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. [End of Section]

19. Making a Judgment Classify each theme as either valid or not valid. Explain your choices. Quick Check 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. People who do good deeds will be happy and will not suffer. valid (true to life) not valid (too idealistic)

20. Goal Reflection What is theme? What is the difference between a valid theme and an invalid theme?