UNIVERSAL THEMES IN THE OUTSIDERS
About Universal Themes…
A Universal theme is a main idea found in literature that could be applied to any culture at any time. For
example, a universal theme in the autobiography Night could be that “Racism is an evil that leads to
great destruction.” A universal theme in the short story, “The Monkey’s Paw” could be, “Don’t tempt
fate.” Although a universal theme isn’t always about a “moral,” it may resemble what we call “the
moral of the story.”
The Assignment:
List two universal themes that have already emerged in the novel. Then summarize two events in the
novel that support what you say – or – support that theme.
Universal Theme #1: ____________________________________________________________________
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Support #1 from Novel: _________________________________________________________________
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Support #2 from Novel: _________________________________________________________________
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See Back
Universal Theme #2: ____________________________________________________________________
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Support #1 from Novel: _________________________________________________________________
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Support #2 from Novel: _________________________________________________________________
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