Analyze Themes

Themes are about the big picture.

• TRUE

• FALSE

An author usually does not state the theme in the story. You must use clues and infer his idea.

• True

• False

You can get clues about a story's theme from

• setting of the story

• lesson the character learns

• the mood a character

• way a character looks

What is a theme?

• a story line

• the topic/subject

• a universal truth about life and people

• the time and place of an event

The theme of a piece of literature is the same as its ...

• message

• significance

• subject

• meaning

Unlike the topic of literature, a theme ...

• can be expressed in one word

• always shows the setting

• is always stated directly in the text

• cannot be just one word

Which of the following statements about theme is TRUE?

• Authors NEVER use the same theme twice

• Themes only repeat in short stories

• All poems have the same theme

• The same themes can occur in different stories/different authors

To identify a theme in a story, a reader can ask ...

• What has the character learned?

• What is the setting?

• Who is the narrator?

• ALL of the above

A theme should be supported by ...

• your own words

• evidence from the text

• rationale/reasoning

• ALL of the above

Themes are universal because ...

• all humans share common experiences

• authors add them to make the writing meaningful

• the entire universe enjoys them

• the stories go on forever