How to come to terms with the THEME of a text, from MACRO to MICRO level approach.

The short story: ‘My Son the Fanatic’

General theme: the big picture is that the story is about a CONFLICT. The obvious conflict is between Ali and his father.
Try to figure out how you can come up with a more nuanced picture of ‘the conflict’ you refer to above.
How do you do that?
Focus on different levels of conflict and WHO is in conflict with whom. Here you have to invoke the different literary elements of the story
such as character/s and setting & set them against each other. For instance,

Taxonomy of conflict

Always begin with main What is X’s real conflict?

character. Conflict with his own identity.
Inner conflict: X vs X

X vs X’s immediate
environment
(domestic setting)

X vs Setting (on a macro Conflict of values:

level)

X vs X’s antagonist Both physical and metaphysical/ spiritual

X vs other peripheral
characters:

Any other conflicts X is

engaged in.