Theme

What is a Theme?

Theme: Life lesson, meaning, moral, or message about life or human nature that is communicated by a literary work.

In other words…

Theme is what the story teaches readers.

A theme is not a word, it is a sentence.

You don’t have to agree with the theme to identify it

Examples:

Money can’t buy happiness.

Don’t judge people based on the surface.

It is better to die free than live under tyranny.

Themes are not explicit (clearly stated).

Themes are implied.

Themes are bigger than the story.

Themes are about the big picture.

Not “Yellow Starbursts taste bad”

Not “Yudy and Carrie are bad friends.”

Think BIGGER.

Find “Real” World advice.

Review

1.Theme is what we can learn from a story.

2.Themes must be inferred.

3.Themes are about the BIG world.