Theme
A theme in a story is the deeper message or central idea. It comments on human experience,
and more often how a story relates to real life situations. All stories have at least one theme.
A theme gives the general view of the story. It gives the reader the insight into how the story
characters live to pursue something good, the results of conflicts and how all these choices
come to pass in their lives.
How to identify the themes of a story
1. Identify the story elements and diagram the plot of the story.
2. Identify the subject of the story: What is the story about?
3. Analyze the main character: How does the character feel? How does the character react
to their feelings? What does the character do in the story? How does the character interact
with others?
4. Summarize the story: Think about the story as a whole. What happened? How did the
character change? How was the conflict resolved?
5. Identify what lesson was learned by the main character and why learning that lesson
was important to the story and life in general?
Importance of a Theme in a Story
Getting to know the theme of a story is very important. This is because a theme gives a story
life. The theme can be called the backbone and the essence of the story.
The theme is usually connected to the main character’s internal journey. If the reader fails to get
the plot of the story, they lose interest. Thus it is very important to know the theme of a story.
Common Topics and Themes
Theme generally refers to the central idea or a perception conveyed in writing. A topic is the
subject that is treated or presented within a story.
Topics play the role of explaining what a story is all about, while themes explain the reason why
it was written in the first place. One topic can have multiple themes associated with it.
Topic Theme
Love Love is blind.
Treat others the way you want to be treated.
Love conquers all.
Forgive, even though you may not forget.
Everyone needs love.
Good vs. Evil Do the right thing, even if it is hard to do.
There are two sides to every story.
Honesty is the best policy.
Help others in their time of need.
Crime does not pay.
Make good choices.
Think before you act.
Greed/ Jealous Be happy with what you have.
Don't wish for what others possess.
Be careful what you wish for.
Selfishness will bring you misery.
Appearances are deceiving.
The grass isn't always greener on the other
side.
Prejudice/Judgment Don't judge a book by it's cover.
Things aren't always as they seem.
Accept others for who they are.
Don't underestimate the ability of others.
Even the biggest can use the help of the
smallest.
Don't judge the actions of others.
Dedication / Perseverance Hard work pays off.
Never give up.
Slow and steady wins the race.
Work hard for what you want in life.
Always try your best.
Growth can come from failure.
Hard work and patience pay off in the end.
Nothing worth doing is easy.
Sacrifice now brings reward later.
Plan ahead.
Home ,Friends, Family There's no place like home.
Home is where the heart is.
Blood is thicker than water.
Families love each other no matter what.
Choose your friends wisely.
You can find friendship in unexpected places.
To have a good friend, you must be a good
friend.
Courage Face your fears.
It takes courage to stand alone.
Stand up for what you believe in.
Be true to yourself.
