WHAT IS A THEMATIC STATEMENT? Making sense of themes and thematic statements

Themes are central messages found in a literary work.

the subject + the author’s point about the subject A theme consist of the subject + the author’s point about the subject

Subjects in literature are endless! Here is just a few: love, war, peace, security, self-worth, honor, courage, hope, evil, death, life, hardship, happiness, justice, friendship, youth, wisdom, despair, loyalty, pride, greed… We could go on and on…

So what is the difference between a subject and a theme? Themes are what the author wants us to know or understand about a particular subject. What does the author want us to know about love? What does the poet want us to know about death? and so on…

Can something I read have more than one theme? The answer is YES! Sometimes a shorter work of literature only has one theme, but you can count on longer, more complex works of literature to have many themes.

So… The literature I read is about at least one subject… love, war, justice, etc.. and * A theme of what I’m reading is what the author is telling me about that subject.

Example 1 One of the subjects in the Harry Potter series is the idea of “destiny”. Harry is given two gifts: the gift of great talent and the gift of life. He’s the boy who lived. But these gifts are also burdens because he is destined to use his talents to save the lives of other people.

So, what is the author saying about destiny? Destiny is something good for Harry, such as being destined to live and destined to have talents that help other people. Destiny can also be something that is like a burden since Harry feels that it is his duty to help others, but he often encounters great danger in doing so.

Example 2 In the story of Beowulf, the subject of courage is repeatedly mentioned in the thoughts and deeds of Beowulf and his warriors. Men celebrate their bravery against monsters and the like so that the act of bravery is associated with strength. However, Beowulf also shows his bravery in giving his own life to defeat the dragon so that others might live.

So what is the author saying about bravery? Beowulf is physically very strong which helps him to be brave when fighting Grendel and his mother. Beowulf’s act of bravery in his old age to save his people from the dragon required a strength of purpose in saving his people and the understanding that he may not survive the battle.

So, what is a thematic statement? A thematic statement is a general statement derived from the subject and the author’s point about the subject. It is a statement that grapples with the human condition, human motivation, human nature.

Thematic Statements Use general nouns and pronouns – no specific names – to talk about abstract ideas… people, society, one, individuals, mankind, humans Do NOT state morals or give advice…should, ought, don’t, “love like there’s no tomorrow”, “be nice to the elderly” Are not trite statements or clichés … “absence makes the heart grow fonder” Do NOT use absolutes…all, none, everything, always

Let’s look at Example 1 again… Harry is given two gifts: the gift of great talent and the gift of life. He’s the boy who lived. But these gifts are also burdens because he is destined to use his talents to save the lives of other people. The thematic statement needs to focus on the idea that “destiny” can be both positive and negative since that is what it has been for Harry.

Thematic Statement When one is destined to have both life and great talent, it can be both a burden and an honor to use that life and talent for the good of others.

Let’s look at Example 2 Beowulf is physically very strong which helps him to be brave when fighting Grendel and his mother. Beowulf’s act of bravery in his old age to save his people from the dragon required a strength of purpose in saving his people and the understanding that he may not survive the battle. So the idea of bravery suggests that physical strength is important but that ultimately strength of purpose for the right reasons wins the day.

Thematic Statement Physical strength is often a necessary component of being brave; however, without an unwavering commitment for good, an individual can fail to achieve victory.

Do/Don’ts Use general nouns and pronouns – no specific names – to talk about abstract ideas… people, society, one, individuals, mankind, humans Do NOT state morals or give advice…should, ought, don’t, “love like there’s no tomorrow”, “be nice to the elderly” Are not trite statements… “absence makes the heart grow fonder”, “beauty is in the eyes of the beholder” Do NOT use absolutes…all, none, everything, always Do use words such as … can, often, sometimes, may