Theme: the meaning of the story a central idea A text can have many themes. Many of the ideas and the language used in this presentation come from

What a theme is not: The theme is not a “should” statement, like, for instance, “People should not lie.” It is not the "moral" of the story. A moral is a piece of practical advice that can be gained from a text to apply to our own lives. grasshopper.htm

 A theme is more complex than a moral and may have no direct advice that the reader can apply.

What theme is: Theme is the meaning released by the work when we take all aspects of the work in its entirety into account. It is an aspect of human experience that the text expresses. While it doesn’t tell us how we should live our lives, it will probably lead us to think about our lives more deeply. Texts don’t state their themes directly. That is up to the reader to do—after reflecting on all elements of a text.

Examples of Themes in the Short Story “The Chaser”  The story “The Chaser” by John Collier reveals that trying to control love leads to destruction.  The story “The Chaser” by John Collier shows that even though people are drawn to quick fixes, those kinds of solutions often create more problems. A claim about theme has two parts: The topic + the text’s comment on that topic Another way to express this is: The topic + the conclusion the reader comes to about this topic from reading this text

What are the elements of a text?  Character  Setting  Conflict  Plot  Point of View  Diction  Tone  Irony  Figurative Language  Symbolism  Motif

These elements work together to create meaning. That meaning is theme.