Unit 1: FictionUnit 1: Fiction

ThemeTheme

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Fiction is like a spider’s web, attached ever so lightly perhaps, but still attached to life at all four corners.

—Virginia Woolf

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?

• 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?

• 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.

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?

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

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

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

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

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– 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

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:

life

giving

truth

responsibility

war

home

self-awareness

choices

bravery

happiness

dreams

reaching goals

obedience

freedom

equality

friendship

love

survival

family

taking risks

good/evil

honesty

learning

pain

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 makingthis connection, his or her messagewill resonate with readers long afterthe story has ended.