Thematic Analysis
General / broad (introduction)
Most specific (evidence/analysis)
General / so what? (conclusion)
1.) Do not begin with a restatement of the prompt. Instead, start with a
general statement about the topics. Broad. Not about the
book/story/etc.
→ No: “In Macbeth, ambition mixed with greed causes the downfall of
the main characters.”
→ Yes: Ambition in life can help people reach their dreams; however,
tempering ambition with greed can have disastrous consequences.
2.) Write your Mr. Star thesis statement using the author, title, genre, a
strong verb, and what/how/why the author does.
→ In the Renaissance play Macbeth, William Shakespeare illustrates
the deadly effects of ambition when combined with greed through
the deteriorating characterization and tragic plot structure.
Example Introductory Paragraph
Ambition in life can help people reach their dreams; however,
tempering ambition with greed can have disastrous consequences.
In the Renaissance play Macbeth, William Shakespeare illustrates
the deadly effects of ambition when combined with greed through
the deteriorating characterization and tragic plot structure.
Organization
Before you start throwing words together, brainstorm. What
are the general ways that this theme is developed?
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●
●
●
●
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Symbolism (blood on hands)
Symbolism (light and dark)
Symbolism (dreaming)
Plot structure
Characterization
Tone
Pick the ones you can say the most about. These will become
the topic sentences of your body paragraphs. How many do you
need? As many as it takes to be persuasive/as many as you have
time to develop.
Organization
Your paragraphs need structure. Use one of these for each topic you’re
going to write about→
TS - topic sentence: what this paragraph is about.
CD - concrete detail: quote or evidence from the text.
COM - commentary: your thoughts on the importance of the detail
COM - commentary continued.
In Act V, Shakespeare illustrates the disastrous consequences of greedy
ambition with the symbol of blood. Lady Macbeth, while sleepwalking,
imagines Duncan’s blood on her hands as she dreams of his assassination.
The fact that the guilt associated with murder interrupts her sleep is
important: sleep is a restful, natural element of human life, but because of
her inhuman actions, she is unable to sleep peacefully. More importantly
than the murder itself, the blood symbolizes the guilt she feels for her
part in Duncan’s assassination.
Conclusion
Do not add new information, but instead make general statements
about the importance of the topic.
Ambition is a guiding force that can help people navigate their
laziness and inaction. It is important to note, however, that
ambition can lead people down dark paths when uncontrolled and
combined with greed.
What’s the difference?
Themes: Transformation, perception, trauma, responsibility
Thematic statement: Even though our perceptions may make us
judge someone’s life negatively, that may not be the reality of their
feelings.
Thesis: In “Salvador Late or Early,” Sandra Cisneros characterizes a
boy who leads an impoverished life as ultimately happy, despite not
having a conventional childhood through her use of symbols and
perspective.
When referring to works of literature, what
does “theme” mean? How do you decide
what a theme is? How is it developed? What
is the theme of one of your favorite movies
or books?
● Theme is a universal message that the
author wants you to take away from a text.
It is not specific to only the text, but applies
to humanity at large.
● It is a complex idea; also known as a big idea
● It is an author’s observation about
humanity in general.
● It is not a suggestion or command.
● A sentence which expresses the theme of a work
is also called a “thematic statement.” Here’s how
you do it:
1. Brainstorm a list of topics the work deals with.
2. Pair up two or three to combine that work well
together.
3. Compose a sentence: “The author believes
that…” and complete the sentence with a
complex idea.
4. Delete “The author believes that…”
5. Voila, you are left with a thematic statement.
● What do you do with a theme once you find
one? → You perform a “thematic analysis”
○ A thematic analysis is a piece of writing which
analyzes how a theme is developed and
requires cited evidence to support it.
● What are some ways that themes are
developed?
○ Characterization/Plot
○ Imagery
○ Word choice
○ Dialogue
○ Symbolism
○ Irony
○ Diction/Tone/Syntax
Directions
Read “Salvador Late or Early” by Sandra Cisneros.
Look for themes in the story. Write a one-sentence thematic
statement.
Here is an example of a thematic statement: Even though our
perceptions may make us judge someone’s life negatively, that may
not be the reality of their feelings.
Share your thematic statements in pairs.
Be prepared to share your thematic statements with the class.