Literature Unit - All in the Family
Part 1 - Family Ties (notes)
Theme
The central idea in a work of literature

often and observation about life or human nature that the writer shares with the reader

similar to a moral

most are not directly stated

the reader must infer themes from the combined elements of a story
Identifying Themes from Elements in a Story





titles
characters
settings and plots
conflicts and resolutions
symbols
Drawing Conclusions
A conclusion is a kind of inference that involves reading beyond the lines

readers combine what they already know with information from the text

readers draw conclusions from the combination of stated facts and facts they can infer
in order to support their conclusion.
Stated Facts vs Inferred Facts



stated - information we bring from our own previous knowledge
stated - information the text explicitly states
inferred - what we guess based on reasonable assumptions (educated guessing)