What Is Theme?

“Big” Ideas

Plot Isn’t Theme

Where Does It Say That?

Evaluating the Theme

Practice

Theme: What’s the Big Idea?

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The theme is what the story is really about.

The theme reveals a basic truth about our lives and human experience.

What Is Theme?

The writer rarely tells you the theme directly. Usually, you have to discover the theme yourself.

Near the end of the story, one friend betrays the other.

What Is Theme?

Suppose you read a story about two friends.

If the story is well written, we feel that betrayal.

we realize that that the story is about more than what happens.

What Is Theme?

As we share the characters’ experiences,

The story is really about how betrayal can destroy the bond between friends. This is the theme of the story.

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Themes focus on the “big” topics in everyone’s life:

“Big” Ideas

LoveLoss

Responsibility

Ambition

Friendship

Works by different writers can have similar themes about the same “big” idea.

“Big” Ideas

In “The Smallest Dragonboy,” Keevan is ridiculed by other boys because he is smaller. However, he is the one chosen by the prized bronze dragon because of his courage and determination.

Works by different writers can have similar themes about the same “big” idea.

What theme could these stories have in common?

“Big” Ideas

In “King Arthur: The Sword in the Stone,” a young adopted boy proves himself worthy to be the rightful king of England. He passes a physical test that many grown men have attempted but failed.

In these two stories, the biggest and strongest characters do not win. Size matters less than courage and strength of character.

Have you read other stories with a similar theme?

“Big” Ideas

How is Rikki-tikki-tavi like Keevan and Arthur?

Rikki is smaller than the cobras but determined to protect his “family.”

Are these sayings familiar? They have been used (and overused) by writers for centuries.

Themes occur over and over again because some truths about human experience are universal.

“Big” Ideas

What goes up, must

come down.

Love conquers

all.

All that glitters is not gold.

Time waits for no man.

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1. Is this event important in the story? Why?

2. What does this event mean?

3. Do the characters understand the meaning of the event?

Plot is what a story is about—what happens in the story.

Plot Isn’t Theme

Theme is what a story is really about—what the story reveals about life.

After you identify key events in a story, ask yourself some questions:

1. Is this event important in the story? Why?

Plot Isn’t Theme

Despite injuries to his head and leg, Keevan drags himself to the dragons’ Hatching Ground.

Here is an event from “The Smallest Dragonboy” in Collection 2.

2. What does this event mean?

3. Does Keevan understand the meaning of the event?

1. Is this event important in the story? Why?

2. What does this event mean?

Plot Isn’t Theme

The little bronze dragon chooses Keevan.

Here is another event from “The Smallest Dragonboy.”

3. Do the characters understand the meaning of the event?

. . .and what the events mean.

Plot Isn’t Theme

You know what happened in the story . . .

But what does the story say about life?

The bronze dragon chose Keevan.

The dragon recognized that Keevan was worthy.

Keevan dragged himself to the Impression.

EVENTS

Keevan showed great courage and determination.

MEANING

A person’s character is what matters—not his or her size.

THEME

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A theme can be stated in more than one way.

A person’s character is what matters—not size.

Stories can have more than one theme.

Courage and determination help you reach goals.

A person’s character is what matters—not size.

Failure and frustration can make a person a bully.

You might see all these themes in “The Smallest Dragonboy”—or an entirely different theme.

Plot Isn’t Theme

A writer doesn’t usually state the theme directly. You probably wouldn’t want to read a story that begins this way:

Where Does It Say That?

Theme is what the writer wants you to discover for yourself.

“This is a story that shows character matters more than size.”

One way to discover theme is by analyzing the characters in a story.

Where Does It Say That?

How does the main character change during the story?

What does this change say about life or about people in general?

Which scenes or passages seem to be most important? What ideas about life do they suggest?

Where Does It Say That?

Look at the story’s title. What hints does it give you about the story’s meaning?

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There are also other ways to discover theme—other questions you can ask.

Whether you know it or not—and whether you like it or not—the theme will get through.

Why bother to figure out a story’s theme?

Evaluating the Theme

For example, most sports movies are about teamwork or end with the “impossible” goal or save. Do you agree with what these movies say about life?

These stories also share a similar theme:

Nothing can stand in the way of true love.

Many teen romances follow the same plot: two people who are very different from each other fall in love.

Evaluating the Theme

Is that really true?

Putting a theme into words brings it into the open. You can then look at it closely and decide if it fits with what you know about life.

You don’t have to like the way a story ends.

Evaluating the Theme

You don’t have to agree with a theme, either.

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Sometimes the hero

dies?

Why didn’t they get

back together?

Practice

1. What does each character want?

Let’s Try It

On a beautiful summer afternoon, Grasshopper lay on his back on a leaf, gazing at clouds and humming a little grasshopper song. This was Grasshopper’s favorite thing to do—all day, every day. By and by, Grasshopper’s good friend Ant came by, struggling under a heavy load. “Are you crazy?” Grasshopper sneered at the ant. “It’s way too beautiful outside to work!” “You said that yesterday, Grasshopper,” Ant replied. “And the day before, and the day before, and the day before. . . .” “That’s right, Ant. It’s always too beautiful to work! That’s what I say!”

2. What else does Grasshopper want?

PracticeLet’s Try It

3. Why does Ant want to work?

4. What happens when winter comes?

5. Why is Ant hesitant about helping Grass-hopper?

“True, but there’s a little chill in the air, Grasshopper. I’ve got to get ready for winter.” “Time enough for that, Ant. Maybe tomorrow.” Grasshopper leaned back and started humming again. Ant trudged on. By and by, the little chill became a freeze. Ant and his family were cozy and warm in their anthill as the snow began falling. One night, Ant heard a little tapping and went to the door. There stood Grasshopper, shivering and slapping his skinny legs to keep warm. “Let me in, Ant, old buddy. It’s cold out here, and I’m so hungry.” “I don’t know about that, Grasshopper. You’re pretty big for this house, and you probably eat more than all of us put together.”

6. Without knowing the end of the story, what do you think is a possible theme for the story?

PracticeLet’s Try It

“True, but there’s a little chill in the air, Grasshopper. I’ve got to get ready for winter.” “Time enough for that, Ant. Maybe tomorrow.” Grasshopper leaned back and started humming again. Ant trudged on. By and by, the little chill became a freeze. Ant and his family were cozy and warm in their anthill as the snow began falling. One night, Ant heard a little tapping and went to the door. There stood Grasshopper, shivering and slapping his skinny legs to keep warm. “Let me in, Ant, old buddy. It’s cold out here, and I’m so hungry.” “I don’t know about that, Grasshopper. You’re pretty big for this house, and you probably eat more than all of us put together.”

Here’s one resolution for the story.

Practice

8. Does this ending introduce another theme?

Let’s Try It

Ant shut the door in Grasshopper’s face. He’d worked hard all summer while that lazy Grasshopper sat around humming. Too bad for him, Ant thought, and went back to warm his hands at the fireplace.

7. Does this ending change the theme?

Practice

Here’s another, different ending.

9. Does this ending change the theme?

Let’s Try It

“Please, please, Ant! Just until the snow stops falling. I’ll do anything—and I’ll never be lazy again!”

“Oh, all right,” said the kindhearted Ant. “I could use your help in the spring anyway.”

10. Does this ending introduce another theme?

On Your Own

Choose two novels you’ve read recently that have similar topics—courage, loyalty, or friendship. Draw a chart like this one. Write the title and topic of each novel. Then, write what each novel reveals to you about that topic.

Practice

Novel 1

Topic

Theme

Topic

Theme

Novel 2

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The End

Theme: What’s the Big Idea?