Theme

1. ThemeTheme
Definition of theme
Elements of Theme
What theme Isn’t
How to “find” themes

2. Theme DefinedTheme Defined
A central idea or “truth”
that a work of literature
expresses.
A comment that a work of
literature makes on the
human condition.

3. Theme Versus SubjectTheme Versus Subject
Subject: what a work is about. It can
usually be expressed in one word. For
example, “Love” is a subject of Romeo
and Juliet
Theme: What does the work say
about the subject? It should be a
complete sentence or statement. For
example, “In Romeo and Juliet, we
learn that adolescent romance can be a
stronger force than family ties.”

4. Theme must go beyond the bookTheme must go beyond the book
To be a true theme, the truth or
comment must apply to people or to
life in general, not just the
characters in the book. For
example, “In Beauty and the Beast,
Belle learns that true beauty comes
from within,” only applies to the
story. Instead, express the theme
like this: “In Beauty and the Beast,
we learn through Belle and the beast
that true beauty comes from within.”

5. Multiple themes are possible!Multiple themes are possible!
Many books have more than
one theme, so do not think
that there is one “right”
theme to any book you read.
In fact, most great literature
has multiple themes.

6. Themes must be supported!Themes must be supported!
Just because works can have multiple
themes, it does not mean that the
theme can be anything that you want.
In order for a theme to be justified,
there must be specific, concrete
evidence from the text. For example,
if your potential theme statement is
that “Poverty creates tough, self-reliant
people,” then the book should contain
examples of poor characters who
develop toughness and self-reliance.

7. A topic
◦ love, war, honesty
A moral
◦Having a child out of wedlock is a sin!
Expressed in a single word.
◦See above
Theme is NOT Theme is NOT

8. Finding the themeFinding the theme
Asking questions
What is the subject?
What does the book say, or teach
us, about the subject?
How does the work communicate
the theme? In other words, what
specific details, characters,
actions, incidents, etc, suggest the
truth of the theme statement?