Theme Statement Development
Mr. Einhorn
English II
If you are having trouble creating assertive, specific and well-developed theme statements, use the
following 4-step process to create the first part of your thesis. In this case, you will begin with a thematic
concept with which we have already worked. I will use “A Perfect Day for Bananafish.” You will use The
Catcher in the Rye.
1. Say you choose shallowness in society.
______________________________________
2.
Now ask yourself, based on your reading of the novel, what is its message to us about this topic.
Develop this into a statement:
“A Perfect Day for Bananafish” suggests that society is shallow
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
3.
Now add the why: because people become distracted by self-gratification as they mature;
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
4.
Now try to add perhaps the last part of the message, which would be the result of this process: this
creates an antagonistic, destructive culture.
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
5.
Put the three pieces together and you have a specific, assertive theme statement that you now can
prove with quotes and analysis of quotes in an essay: “A Perfect Day for Bananafish” suggests
that society is shallow because people become distracted by self-gratification as they mature;
this creates an antagonistic, destructive culture.
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________