DISCERNING/IDENTIFYING THEME
WHAT IS THEME?
- Is the message or lesson that the author wants to show or tell readers
- Is not explicit (obvious) – you need to make inferences in order to figure it out
- Is not just one word; it is a full sentence
- Is universal (applicable to everybody, not just the characters in the story)
HOW CAN I DISCERN/IDENTIFY THEME?
When you’re trying to find the theme in a story, ask yourself:
- What do the characters learn in the story?
- What did I learn or realize from reading the story?
- Are there any examples of Words of the Wiser?
- Are there any examples of Again and Again? (Are there any words or ideas that are repeated again and again throughout the text?)
THEME SELF-CHECK
Once you have a possible theme for a story, ask yourself these questions:
- Is the theme a full sentence?
- Is it universal? (Can it apply to other stories/situations?)
- Can I gather text evidence for this theme from multiple parts of the story?
If you answered YES to all the questions, CONGRATULATIONS! You’ve found a theme in the story!
HOW AUTHORS DEVELOP THEME
If you are asked to explain how an author develops a theme or an idea in a text, what it is asking you is to explain how the author showed the theme or idea in the text. In other words, what techniques did the author use to slowly grow and show the theme/idea from beginning to end? Make sure you draw evidence from all parts of the text!
Here are some of the most common ways that authors develop theme in their stories:
Authors Develop Their Theme…
· By showing what the character learned / realized (which can be seen in an Aha Moment or Words of the Wiser)
· Through characterization (describing in depth a character’s personality)
· By showing character change
· By repeating important ideas throughout a text
· By showing the consequences of a character’s actions (whether good or bad)
· By showing how the conflict in the story was resolved
These are not all the ways that authors develop theme in stories; there are plenty more that I'm sure you can think of!
Here are some of the most common ways that authors develop theme in their stories:
Authors Develop Their Theme…
· By showing what the character learned / realized (which can be seen in an Aha Moment or Words of the Wiser)
· Through characterization (describing in depth a character’s personality)
· By showing character change
· By repeating important ideas throughout a text
· By showing the consequences of a character’s actions (whether good or bad)
· By showing how the conflict in the story was resolved
These are not all the ways that authors develop theme in stories; there are plenty more that I'm sure you can think of!
