Thematic Analysis

What is NOT a theme?

• The underlying message of the story.
• The idea that the author is trying to convey.
• The plot of the story.
• The life lessons that stem from the story.

TRUE OR FALSE:
The theme of the story is always stated within the text.

• True
• False

A father had a family of sons who were perpetually quarreling among themselves. When he failed to heal their disputes by words, he tried to give them a practical illustration; and for this purpose he one day told them to bring him a bundle of sticks. When they had done so, he placed it into the hands of each of them in succession, and ordered them to break it in pieces. They tried with all their strength, and were not able to do it. Then, he opened the bundle,  and split it up among his sons, upon which they broke them easily. He then addressed them: "My sons, if you  unite to assist each other, you will be like this bundle, uninjured by all the attempts of your enemies; but if you are divided among yourselves, you will be broken as easily as these sticks."

• United, we stand; divided, we fall.
• It is hard to break a bundle of sticks.
• It is a father's responsibility to unite his sons.
• Practical illustrations are better than words.

A raven saw a swan and desired to acquire the same beautiful feathers it had. Assuming that the Swan's splendid white color arose from consistent washing in the water in which he swam, the Raven left the his neighborhood where he picked up his living, and started staying in the lakes and pools. But even though he washed himself as often as possible, he could not change their color, and eventually perished due to a lack of food.

• Swans are more beautiful than ravens.
• Altering your appearance only hurts you.
• One must always wash themselves.
• Without food, animals will perish.

Some boys, playing near a pond, saw a number of frogs in the water and began to pelt them with stones. They killed several of them, when one of the frogs, raising his head above the water, cried out: "Pray stop, my boys: what is a game to you, is death to us."

• We must stand up for others of our kind.
• Frogs can be found in freshwater bodies.
• Stone-throwing is a terrible activity.
• Sometimes, it is important to take another perspective.

An astronomer used to go out at night to observe the stars. One evening, as he wandered through the streets, paying attention only to the sky, he accidentally fell into a deep well. While he lamented and bewailed his sores and bruises, and cried loudly for help, a neighbor ran to the well, and learning what had happened said: "In trying to pry into the heavens, do you not manage to see what is on earth?' 

• Astronomy is a profession of the past.
• Pay attention to the little things in life.
• A gentleman must never cry for help.
• The astronomer had a cruel neighbour. 

A woman possessed a hen that gave her an egg every day. She often pondered how she might obtain two eggs instead of one, and at last, to gain her purpose, began to feed the hen a double allowance of barley. From that day hence, the hen became fat and sleek, and never once laid another egg. 

• Barley is an adequate diet for hens.
• One must not feed their pets too much.
• Those that are greedy will never succeed.
• We should eat an egg every day. 

BONUS :
What is the importance of understanding and being able to identify theme?

• It is necessary to understand the heart of any story.
• It gives us insight into the characters.
• It helps us follow the events in the story.
• It teaches us good morals and virtues.