Name: _________________________________
Themes and characters:
1. In the movie, The Fight Club, an unnamed protagonist, played by Edward Norton, is a
man who has grown to hate his blue-collar job and the lack of money he is making. He
forms a “fight club” with soap salesman, Tyler Durden, and becomes embroiled in
relationships with Durden and a dissolute woman in his struggles to become rich.
What theme is evident in this example? ______________________
2. In the classic novel, A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge is known for his late work
hours and stingy pay to his employees. Because of this, one family suffers financially, and
finds it difficult to feed everyone. Bob Cratchit’s young son, Tiny Tim, crippled from
birth, learns of his father’s problems with his employer. This worries him, and in turn,
frustrates Bob because his son should not be consumed with adult issues.
What theme is evident in this example? __________________________
3. A few months after being paralyzed in the car accident, Jeff knew in his heart that he
would walk again. He dismissed all the comments from the doctors about the paralysis
being permanent. Years later, after never having use of his legs, Jeff realized that he will
never walk again; he had been deceiving himself all these years. He now knew what
everyone was trying to tell him.
What theme is evident? _______________________
4. Jill, a middle-aged housewife and mother, believes that happiness is about perception:
she is happy if she seems pulled together, confident, and successful - in other words, she
is happy if others think that she is happy. She believes that by pursuing success she is
pursuing happiness, but in reality she is merely attempting to dampen her own misery
over the wreckage of her marriage and the shallowness of her life. She has not shared her
thoughts and anxieties with anyone, not even her husband.
What type of character is Jill? ______________________
5. Karen, more times than she would like to admit, finds herself standing in front of the
mirror, obsessing about her “faults”. Her mother notices her daughter’s demeanor
change. She wonders what could have triggered the change. Karen had been reading
Glamor magazine for the past few months, and her mother knew that Karen was curious
about the models and their lifestyles.
The models are considered what type of character? _____________________
6. The farmer that lives next door has always planted a garden. Even in the summers that
the garden does not produce bountiful foods, he still meticulously cultivates and cares
for his land. He believes it is a provider, and we, as humans, are slowly destroying what
has been given to us to protect.
What theme is evident? ____________________________
7. In 1945, Soviet soldiers entered into Auschwitz and found many sick and exhausted
prisoners. They were on the brink of death, until the soldiers arrived.
The soldiers are considered what type of character? _______________________
8.
Benjamin Franklin’s hard work, ambition, and thrift were not just philosophies he
preached; they were codes by which he lived his life. None of his successes came by
chance; they were created by the ceaseless way in which he organized his life to maximize
productivity. Such discipline was necessary if he ever hoped to rise from his humble
beginnings. Franklin was the 15th of 17 children born to father Josiah Franklin, a candle
maker. Granted only two years of formal schooling, Franklin supplemented his
knowledge by constantly having his nose stuck in a book.
What type of character is Franklin? _______________________
9. The transfer student was given her new schedule upon arrival. She was told to meet her
tour guide at the cafeteria. This being her fifth new school, the transfer student took the
liberty to find the location of her classes on her own. She felt she did not need assistance
due to the fact that she felt like a pro at being a new student.
What theme is evident? _______________________
10. In Pirates of the Caribbean, Jack Sparrow is a very prominent character. He could sell
ice to an Eskimo. In both movies, he diabolically created a ruse for every character to get
them to do what he wanted. Most didn't realize it until later or never found out they were
nothing more but mere "chess pieces" to him.
Jack Sparrow is an example of what character? _______________________
Choices:
Alienation/isolation
the crusader
Man’s relationship with nature
the self-made individual
Survival of the fittest
the best friend
Loss of innocence
trickster/jokester
Materialism and competition
lost soul/loner
Disillusionment with self/others
liberator/redeemer
Individualism
American Beauty