Universal ThemeUniversal Theme

Before you can understand Universal Before you can understand Universal Theme, you need to understand theme.Theme, you need to understand theme.

Theme: The central insight or lesson that is Theme: The central insight or lesson that is found in a piece of fiction.found in a piece of fiction.

This is the BIG IDEA—the thing the book is really This is the BIG IDEA—the thing the book is really about. It’s not the plot. The plot is WHAT about. It’s not the plot. The plot is WHAT happens. Theme is the meaning behind the happens. Theme is the meaning behind the plot—the reason the author wrote the book.plot—the reason the author wrote the book.

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Themes in things you’ve readThemes in things you’ve read

Examples of theme in Examples of theme in To Kill A To Kill A MockingbirdMockingbird: : • Just because a person is young does not Just because a person is young does not

mean that they have nothing to offer.mean that they have nothing to offer.• Racism is born of hate and also the Racism is born of hate and also the

society that you grow up in.society that you grow up in.

And again!And again!

Examples of theme’s in Examples of theme’s in Romeo and Romeo and Juliet:Juliet:• Fate controls our future.Fate controls our future.• Young people should not be forced into Young people should not be forced into

marriage.marriage.• Feuds can destroy lives.Feuds can destroy lives.

Universal ThemeUniversal Theme

Definition: Ideas about the nature of all men and women or Definition: Ideas about the nature of all men and women or about the relationship of human beings to each other or the about the relationship of human beings to each other or the universe.universe.

•Examples of Ideas that could be turned into Universal Themes:

–A human being’s confrontation with nature

–A human being’s lack of humanity

–A rebellious human being’s confrontation with a hostile society

–An individual’s conflict between passion and responsibility

–Conflict between human beings and machines’

–The inevitability of fate

–The struggle of equality

Universal theme in things Universal theme in things you’ve readyou’ve read

To Kill a MockingbirdTo Kill a Mockingbird

--Hatred can blind people to truth.Hatred can blind people to truth.

--All people deserve compassion.All people deserve compassion.

--Individuals have both good and evil Individuals have both good and evil

qualities.qualities.

Universal theme in things you’ve Universal theme in things you’ve readread

Romeo and JulietRomeo and Juliet

-Fate vs Free will-Fate vs Free will

-Miscommunication between the -Miscommunication between the

generationsgenerations

The thing to remember about The thing to remember about Universal Theme:Universal Theme:

If the theme can be found all If the theme can be found all across the time periods and in across the time periods and in different genres of literature, then it different genres of literature, then it is universal theme.is universal theme.