Understanding
Theme
You‘ve probably heard the word
“theme” used in different ways…
Theme park
Can you think of any other ways you’ve heard the word theme?
What does theme mean in literature?
Theme is …
Theme is NOT…
The author’s message about life
to the reader.
The plot, characters, or mood of
the story.
A universal idea that can apply
to lots of different people and
lots of different circumstances.
A one word topic (love,
forgiveness, etc.)
A cliché (Don’t judge a book by
its cover).
Which of the following could be
literary THEMES? How do you know?
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Love is the strongest force in the world.
Anger.
Being greedy can lead to bad consequences.
Golden rule.
Cowboys vs. aliens.
Everyone will face obstacles that he/she will
need to overcome.
A penny saved is a penny earned.
There are LOTS of ways to find the
theme of a work of literature!
1. Examine the title. Often, authors choose a symbolic
title that gives a hint about the theme.
2. Identify the “big world” universal topic of the work. Then
ask yourself, “What point is the author trying to make
about the topic?”
3. Find the main conflict and its resolution. Ask yourself
what the author wants you to learn from the problems
and resolutions in the story.
4. Pay attention to lessons that characters learn.
Sometimes, these lessons are the theme!
What else do I need to know
about theme?
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There can be more than one theme in a work
of literature, especially in a longer work, like a
play or a novel.
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There can be different interpretations of a
theme, depending on the reader’s schema
and understanding of the work. As long as you
can defend your theme, you’re probably right.
Let’s practice…
Your teacher will read you a story. Use one (or
more) of the methods to determine the theme of
the story. Be ready to defend your interpretation of
the theme!
The Old Man and his Little
Grandson retold by Leo Tolstoy
"The grandfather had become very old. His legs would not carry him, his eyes
could not see, his ears could not hear, and he was toothless. When he ate, bits of food
sometimes dropped out of his mouth. His son and his son's wife no longer allowed him
to eat with them at the table. He had to eat his meals in the corner near the stove.
One day they gave him his food in a bowl. He tried to move the bowl closer;
it fell to the floor and broke. His daughter-in-law scolded him. She told him that he
spoiled everything in the house and broke their dishes, and she said that from now on
he would get his food in a wooden dish. The old man sighed and said nothing.
A few days later, the old man's son and his wife were sitting in their hut,
resting and watching their little boy playing on the floor. They saw him putting
together something out of small pieces of wood. His father asked him, "What are you
making, Misha?"
The little grandson said, "I'm making a wooden bucket. When you and
Mamma get old, I'll feed you out of this wooden dish."
The young peasant and his wife looked at each other, and tears filled their
eyes. They were ashamed because they had treated the old grandfather so meanly,
and from that day they again let the old man eat with them at the table and took
better care of him.
What was the theme?
If you said something like…
“It’s important to show respect for ALL people.”
OR
“The way adults behave will influence the future
generation”
YOU’RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT!
How do we know?
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Main conflict = The parents are mean to the old
grandfather.
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Resolution = Misha, the boy, makes a wooden bucket
and says he will feed his parents out of it when they
get old. This makes the parents realize that their
mean actions have influenced their son. They decide
to treat the old man better.
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From the conflict and resolution, we can infer that the
author is trying to tell use that it is important to treat
everyone with respect. We can also infer that the
author is trying to point out that the way adults
behave will influence kids, just like it influenced Misha.
Are there any other ways to
know the theme of that story?
Topic = Being respectful
Since the parents learned that the way they
treated the grandfather was unfair and that
it influenced their son to think that being
mean to elderly people was normal, we
can infer that the author is trying to say that
it’s important to respect everyone!
Closure
On your sticky note, write…
Your Name
3 things you KNOW about theme.
2 ways you can FIND the theme.
1 thing you WONDER about theme.