Rubric, Rough outline, and final essay due at the end of class on MAY 11!
THEME ANALYSIS – NIGHT and THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS
PURPOSE AND PRODUCT – To demonstrate a solid understanding of the importance of
universal themes by writing an essay that analyzes the one theme you have been focused on since
reading the book and viewing the movie.
The theme of a work of literature is the comment the author makes about his subject
matter, a revelation about the behavior of human beings or the conduct of society; an
insight into the human condition. It is the insight we gain from thinking about what we
have read. The theme of a literary work is its underlying central idea, or the
generalization it communicates about life. At times, the author’s theme may not confirm
of agree with your own beliefs, but even then, if it is skillfully written, the work will still
have a theme that illuminates some aspects of true human experience.
In a nut shell: For this essay you will be writing a 2-3 page theme analysis. You will choose ONE of the
possible themes, and discuss how that theme is developed in each text (the book and the movie)
Most importantly, you will use specific quotes (at least three) from Night to support your analysis of the
theme.
At its heart, this is also a compare/contrast essay, because each “text” goes about developing that theme in
different/similar ways.
Writing your Essay
1. First, pick one theme to write your analysis.
2. Next, you need to form your thesis statement. (The thesis is the main point you
want to make in your essay—in this case your thesis will be the theme and your
claim that it is developed in both texts)
3. After deciding on a thesis, you need to form a rough outline using the provided
example on the next page. You will need to provide at least three examples from
the book and the movie to illustrate the theme, which will be the components of
your three body paragraphs. (you will need to somehow SYNTHESIZE the two
texts in order to write about them in one paragraph! How can you do that? See
me if you need help) Don’t rely on the quotes to explain themselves. You need to
lead into the quote, and also comment on the quote after you quote it. You need
to effectively show how the quote helps to prove your point. (Remember the
quote sandwich! And don’t forget the MLA format for citing quotes=
Quotation marks- Parenthesis- Punctuation) here is something I wrote in
college that shows this: it is very complex, but you get the idea:
He described them as faculties that should be embraced as separate, but not in a way that they
negate each other to the point of division. In The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, Blake states,
“without Contraries is no progression. Attraction and Repulsion, Reason and Energy, Love and
Hate, are necessary to Human existence”(3). The fall that Blake describes is due to negations of
these contraries, which in turn, become divisions. Blake’s fall is a fragmentation of the self.
* note that if you don’t mention the author in your signal/tag phrase, you need to include the
author name in the citation. [like this: (Wiesel 3).]
Rubric, Rough outline, and final essay due at the end of class on MAY 11!
4. Begin writing your essay! You will have 3 days to write. Essays will be due at the end of the
period on Wednesday, May 11th. Student’s needing extra time have until Friday at 3:15 to
submit final essays.
Follow the outline below-- Introductiono Use one or two sentences to express your personal opinions on the subject
of the book/movie
o Include any background that the reader may need in order to understand
the two texts
o State the theme you conclude from the book and the film (this is your
thesis)
o Describe in general, how the author expresses such theme, i.e. by using
characterization, symbolism, setting or conflicts, etc. (this will be where
you lead in to your body paragraphs) (this is like the Chicken foot! The
3 main points you plan on discussing in regards to your thesis!)
 Body-Write three paragraphs to explain how each author expresses the theme in
his text. To describe each example, you need to think about the following
information.
o What happened? What did the character do to show the theme?
o How did each author go about conveying that theme in similar ways?
Different ways?
o What did the character say or think (quotes from the character, or the
narrator)?
o What is the consequence of his/her action?
 Conclusion
o Restate your theme
o What did you think of the theme? How has it affected you?

Read the introductory paragraph that I’ve written below to get a feel for how to start this
paper
Both Night and The Boy in the Striped Pajamas demonstrate the horrific events that took place
during the Holocaust. I say horrific because I cannot imagine how anyone can lash out against
another group of people for any reason; yet alone because of religious affiliation or sexual
orientation or physical appearance, etc. It is stories like these that remind us that this particular
genocide is still very much alive for the hundreds of thousands who had to endure it. Both of
these texts offer the reader/viewer an intense experience about living through what it was like to
be part of the infamous Holocaust. Both stories are most strongly created through plot
development, stylistic choices, and loss of values. Though both are laced with several key
themes, I think one of the strongest incorporated in both is the idea that, unfortunately, people
who are filled with lies and deceit are a natural part of human existence; sometimes we cannot
fight them, we must join them.
Rubric, Rough outline, and final essay due at the end of class on MAY 11!
: Underline the theme in this paragraph. Circle the three elements that will be the focus in the
body of the paper.