Unit 1: Fiction
Theme
Fiction is like a spider’s
web, attached ever so lightly
perhaps, but still attached to
life at all four corners.
—Virginia Woolf
<skip intro>
What is fiction?
• Fiction is a genre, or category of literary
composition, that includes any work of prose
that tells an invented or imaginary story.
What are the two main
forms of fiction?
• The two main forms of fiction are the short
story and the novel.
What are your favorite
types of fiction?
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Realistic fiction
Mystery
Science fiction
Romance
Historical fiction
Horror
Fantasy
Sports fiction
What are the purposes of
fiction?
• To entertain readers
• To enlighten readers by sharing the human
experience
• To provide readers with an escape from reality
• To teach readers empathy
• To help readers explore unknown worlds
What are the five elements
of fiction?
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Plot
Point of view
Characters
Setting
Theme
Theme
• Theme is the central idea or perception about
life that is revealed through a literary work.
• Theme is also known as the author’s message.
To produce a mighty book, you must choose a
mighty theme. No great and enduring volume
can ever be written on the flea, though many
there be that have tried it.
—Herman Melville
Think of a story whose theme had a significant
impact on you. Why was it so meaningful? What
makes a story’s theme powerful for readers?
Stated Theme
• When a story’s theme or perception about life
is stated directly by the author, it is known as a
stated theme.
• Stated themes are rare
in fiction.
• Stated themes most
commonly occur in
traditional literature, such
as fairy tales and fables.
Stated Theme
• However, a few works of fiction do use stated
themes.
• In the following excerpt from “The Gift of the
Magi,” the author tells readers what ideas to
take away from the story.
But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all
who give gifts these two were the wisest. Of all who give and receive gifts,
such as they are wisest. Everywhere they are wisest. They are the magi.
—from “The Gift of the Magi,”
by O. Henry
Implied Theme
• When a story’s theme or perception about life
must be inferred by readers, it is known as an
implied theme.
• Readers must determine an implied theme by
finding underlying truths or meanings behind
the characters and their actions.
• In fiction, implied themes are more common
than stated themes.
Implied Theme
• In the following excerpt from “The Scarlet
Ibis,” the reader must infer the theme by
interpreting the underlying meaning of the
main character’s thoughts.
There is within me (and with sadness I have watched it in others) a
knot of cruelty borne by the stream of love, much as our blood sometimes
bears the seed of our destruction, and at times I was mean to Doodle. One
day I took him up to the barn loft and showed him his casket, telling him
how we all had believed he would die.
—from “The Scarlet Ibis,”
by James Hurst
Determining Theme
• A work of fiction can have a single theme or
multiple themes.
• To determine the theme, readers must find the
connections between
– the story’s elements
– and the human experience.
Determining Theme from
Story Elements
• The story elements that offer clues to the
theme of a literary work include
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characters
plot
point of view
setting
symbolism
• The following slides explore how these
elements help to express a story’s theme.
Determining Theme from
Characters
• Analyzing the characters’ personal traits,
actions, dialogue, and motivations may offer
insight into a story’s theme.
We have quarrelled like devils all our lives over this stupid strip of
forest…. Lying here tonight, thinking, I’ve come to think we’ve been rather
fools; there are better things in life than getting the better of a boundary
dispute. Neighbor, if you will help me to bury the old quarrel I-I will ask
you to be my friend.
—from “The Interlopers,”
by Saki
Determining Theme from
Plot
• Theme often serves as the connecting thread
that holds the plot together.
• As the plot progresses, a pattern of events
emerges that suggests a significant theme.
• Theme can be determined from plot in “The
Most Dangerous Game.”
– In this story, Rainsford, a big-game hunter, is
forced to discover what it feels like to be hunted.
– This turn of events reveals the story’s theme: the
ethical dilemma of the hunt.
True or False?
A story’s theme can be affected by
the point of view from which the
story is told.
True
False
Determining Theme from
Point of View
• True! The point of view from which a story is
told can affect the story’s theme.
• Readers accompany the narrator on his or her
journey through the story.
• Along the way, readers observe the changes
that the narrator undergoes.
• These changes, or revelations, can influence a
story’s theme.
Determining Theme from
Setting
• A story’s setting may reveal theme as well.
• In “The Cask of Amontillado,” there is a stark
contrast between two settings:
– joyous merrymaking on the streets during Carnival
– somber darkness of the catacombs
• The theme that emerges from this
contrast is that things are not always
as they seem.
Determining Theme from
Symbolism
• Finally, theme can be found in symbolism.
• There are two types of symbols:
– A conventional symbol is an object with which
many people have the same associations.
• The diamond necklace in “The Necklace” is a
conventional symbol that stands for wealth.
– A personal or idiosyncratic symbol is one that is
specific to a particular character in a story.
• The dying ibis in “The Scarlet Ibis” is an idiosyncratic
symbol for Doodle’s uniqueness, fragility, and fate.
Determining Theme from
Other Story Elements
• Using a story’s elements as clues is one way to
determine the theme of a story.
• However, readers should also pay close
attention to
– the title of a story
– the names of the characters in a story
– the names of places in a story
• An author will often use these elements to
reveal theme as well.
Determining Theme Beyond
the Story
• To determine theme, readers must also go
beyond the boundaries of a story and discover
an underlying perception about life.
Describing Themes
• The following terms are commonly used to
describe themes:
family
taking risks
good/evil
honesty
learning
pain
obedience
freedom
equality
friendship
love
survival
self-awareness
choices
bravery
happiness
dreams
reaching goals
life
giving
truth
responsibility
war
home
SUMMARY: Theme
• The theme of a literary work is the central
message or perception about life that the story
reveals.
• A writer expresses the theme by establishing a
connection between the story’s elements and
the human experience.
• If a writer is successful at making
this connection, his or her message
will resonate with readers long after
the story has ended.