12LC - Theme Analysis

22
The Happy Man


HW: Read The
Return
23
The Return


HW:Read Civil
Peace

24
Counselor Visits

Civil Peace

HW: AOW
25
Senior EDPs


HW: Theme
Analysis Essay
26
Socratic Seminar # 3


HW: Theme
Analysis Essay
(Due Monday)

Theme: The main idea or underlying meaning of a literary work, its view about life
and how people behave.

The subject is the topic on which an author has chosen to write. The theme makes
some statement or expresses some opinion on that topic. The subject of a story may
be war while the theme of that same story might be the idea that war is useless.

How to figure out the theme:
1. Figure out a topic that you think the author is addressing. Following are
some universal topics:

abuse of power
action vs apathy
authority
beating the odds
beauty
class
coming of age
corruption
courage
death
effects of the past
faith
fall from grace
family
fate
fear
fear of failure
freedom
friendship
greed
hate
heritage
heroes
honesty
independence
innocence
justice
love
loyalty
male/female
relations
manipulation
mothering
nature
need for change
obligation
parent-child
relationships
peace
peer pressure
perseverance
power of the
mind
prejudice
price of progress
pride
quest for
knowledge
religion
revenge
sanity vs insanity
secrecy
security/safety
seizing the
moment
sexuality
survival
the overlooked
the road not taken
war
winners and
losers

(You are welcome to choose a topic not on this list.)







2. What is the author trying to say about this topic?

Look at the feelings, thoughts, and actions of the main character. What does
he/she learn? Are there repeated actions or thoughts?
Looks at the feelings, thoughts, and actions of the other characters. How do
these relate back to the main character? How do the characters interact? Are
there any repeated actions or thoughts?
Look at the significant events and conflicts within the story. How are these
developed and resolved?
Look at symbols. Look at the title. How might these aspects indicate the
theme?

3. Write your theme statement.
4. Test your theme:

Is the theme supported by evidence from the work itself?
Are all the authors choices of plot, character, conflict, and tone controlled by
this theme?