1. Theme Statements

2. Topic vs. Theme
Theme statements come from topic words (main ideas), such as:
Trust
Friendship
Madness
Love
Revenge
Identity
Freedom

3. Topic / Main Idea
Topics may be the same for different stories, but the authors’ message about the topic word may be different.
For example, in Romeo and Juliet, an example of a ‘topic’ is love.
Based on the events and the ending, what lesson is the audience suppose to learn about love?

4. Thematic Statements
The THEME of a story is longer than one word because it expresses an opinion about the “topic” in the story.
Therefore, theme is conveyed through thematic statements and is written in sentence format.

5. Thematic Statements
When considering theme, think about what the author wants the reader to understand
What lesson is the reader supposed to learn?
For example, in Romeo and Juliet a potential theme statement could be: “Love can prosper despite the hate rooted in family feuds.”
Notice that the theme addresses the topic of ‘love.’ 5

6. In other words… Topics are the “what” Themes are the “so what”
What are the big ideas in the story?
Themes are the “so what”
So what about the topic word?
So what is the author trying to say?

7. Composing a Theme Statement
Ask the following questions:
What is the topic about?
Why is the topic an important issue?
Who does the topic involve?
How does the topic affect the protagonist?
What problems or issues arise because of this topic?
How does the topic affect the way society functions in the text?

8. ___(Topic)___ + ___(what the topic reveals)___
Format
___(Topic)___ + ___(what the topic reveals)___