ENGWR 301 Howe

Theme

Theme = the controlling idea or central insight of the story, film, novel, etc.

To discern the theme of a story, we must know its purpose – what view of life it supports, what
insight into life it reveals.

NOT ALL STORIES HAVE THEME – some commercial fiction such as horror, adventure, or murder
mystery stories do not always have themes.

Do not merely tell what happens in the story; tell what the story reveals about life.

Theme exists only

1) when the author has seriously attempted to record life accurately
2) when the author has mechanically introduced some concept or theory of life into the story
which becomes the unifying element.

Theme is sometimes stated explicitly but is usually implied.

DO NOT CONFUSE MORAL WITH THEME! The author doesn’t want to give us a code of moral
rules for regulating daily conduct.

To find the theme . . . DON’T ASK WHAT A STORY TEACHES – ASK WHAT IT REVEALS.

We do not have to accept the theme or like what it reveals.

To find theme:
Examine the change(s) in character
Ask what the character has learned
Explore the central conflict and its outcome
Study the title
Look at the language – point of view, style, tone, symbolism, etc.

When writing about theme, REMEMBER:

1)       Theme must be expressed as a grammatical sentence.

Bad example: The story is about loyalty. [This (loyalty) is a one word topic-- a
theme is always a full statement about the topic.]

Good example: Barn Burning's theme is that when one is faced with loyalty to

one's family or loyalty to one's convictions, one must sometimes choose one's
convictions over one's family.

2)       Theme must be expressed as a generalization about life.

Bad example: Connie finds that she must face reality when she encounters a sexual
predator. [This is specific to just the character of the story--it is not
a generalization about life that may apply to more people than just Connie]
Good example: When a teenager is not given enough guidance and preparation for
the adult world, he/she may be susceptible to predators.

3)       Don’t make the generalization broader than is justified.

Bad example: It is always best to reject one's parents and follow one's own path.
[This statement is so sweeping and broad that it is easily disproven with one
example of when it is not good to reject one's parents' advice]

Good example: Sometimes, one must follow one's own conscience if one's family is
advocating wrongdoing.

4)       Theme is the central and unifying concept of the story.

Bad Example: The theme of "The Bride Comes to Yellowsky" is that people should

not be cruel to animals. [There is only one scene in the story that involves cruelty to
a dog; therefore it is not a central idea of the story.]

Good Example: In “The Bride Comes to Yellowsky,” Stephen Crane reveals the idea
that when a new set of cultural values encroaches on and overtakes an old set of
values, the old values must change.

5)       There is more than one way of stating theme.

(No need for examples here-- this is self-explanatory.)

6)       Avoid stating theme as a familiar saying.

Bad Example: The central idea of “Barn Burning” is that blood is thicker than water.
[This is a familiar adage or old saying. You need to find a fresh way of stating the
idea because old adages trivialize the work you are reading].

Good Example: William Faulkner suggests that one must be loyal to one's family or

they will not be loyal in return.

Here is an example of a very good theme statement:

When a mother tries to fulfill her dreams through her children, sometimes
the dream is unfulfilled because her children do not fully share the dream.

A familiar theme to look for in literature:

Initiation or Rite of Passage: a story in which coming of age or the loss of innocence
and the acquisition of maturity or knowledge is the central idea.

Sample Theme Essay Outline: See below

Sample Outline:

Theme Statement/Thesis: When a mother tries to fulfill her dreams through her
children, sometimes the dream is unfulfilled because her children do not fully share
the dream.

Topic Sentence: Sometimes, when a parent is unable to fulfill her own life dreams
due to adversity, he or she is likely to try to fulfill the dream through his or her
children. In Two Kinds, Jing Mei’s mother has lived a life of adversity and she is
unlikely to achieve her dream completely by herself.
a) She is already an adult and has obstacles like work and family to hinder her
success.
b) She has language and cultural barriers to her success
c) She senses that she will not achieve her dream

Topic Sentence: When a parent senses she cannot achieve her own dreams, she may
transfer her dream onto her children, hoping the same success and happiness can be
achieved by them. Jing Mei’s mom becomes obsessed with helping her daughter
achieve fame and success in America
a) she tests her
b) makes her change her appearance
c) works to give her piano lessons and other opportunities

Topic Sentence: When a child is forced to carry the burden of another’s dreams, he
or she may rebel as Jing Mei does in “Two Kinds.”
a)
b)

Topic Sentence: Each person must be the designer or his or her own dream. Jing
Mei decides she must be who she is capable of being and no one else.
a)
b)