Short Story - Theme

Objectives You will be able to: Analyze a story to determine its theme. Demonstrate familiarity with new literary terms.

Take Out Binder with Paper

What is a theme? Write this down. The theme is the central idea of a story. Usually, the theme reveals a truth about human behavior. The theme is usually not stated directly in a story. You have to figure it out from what happens.

What is a theme? Write this down. Stated Theme- the message of the story is directly stated by the author or a character.

What is a theme? Write this down. The theme is usually not stated directly in a story. You have to figure it out from what happens. Implied theme – the message of the story is suggested rather than directly stated.

How do we find a story’s theme? Ask: Does the title add a new meaning to the story? Think of “The Finish of Patsy Barnes.” Does the main character change or learn something? Are there any important lessons about life or people in the story? Test your idea on theme- Does it apply to the whole story and not just parts?

Vocabulary Words – Write these in your note book using Cornell notes.

Cornell Notes Put your vocabulary work on the left third of the page. Put your definition on the right two-thirds. You can fold over the page to study. Leave space below the definition to write a sentence.

bachelor

bachelor N. a man who is not married

resolute

resolute adj. Fixed in purpose; resolved.

listlessly

listlessly Adv. Without interest: spiritlessly

authentic

authentic Adj. Genuine; real.

procession

procession n. a group of people or things moving forward.

See Text page 575 Use the reference to find each word in the story. Read the paragraph to see how the word is used. Then, write a sentence using the word correctly.

Reading Strategy - Drawing Inferences Drawing inferences – You fill in missing information based on the material that is provided.

Read Pages 574 - 575 Theme Drawing Inferences

Prepare to read: Author Biographies http://phschool.com/atschool/phlit/author_bios/saki.html

Prepare to read: Author Biographies Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve (b. 1933) Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve was born on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation in South Dakota. She is a writer and teacher and devotes herself to telling about Native American life as she herself has experienced it. She also works "to interpret history from the viewpoint of the American Indian," whom she feels has been misrepresented by historians who are not themselves Native Americans. She is determined to create stories for children that portray Native Americans and their history more accurately, informatively, and accessibly than had much of the existing literature. In 1971, the Interracial Council for Minority Books for Children honored Sneve for her novel Jimmy Yellow Hawk.

Closing

Page 575 As you read, ask: What message does each work communicate about passing along values from adults to children, and What is the difference in the tones in which the messages are communicated?