Themes

Theme – What is it? A central message, concern, or insight into life expressed through a literary work Can be expressed in a one or two sentence statement about human beings or about life May be stated directly or implied

What is it? (continued) A theme is universal – it is not a statement about the book or a character Interpretation uncovers the theme

Example of Theme “Every man needs to feel allegiance to his native country, whether he always appreciates that country or not.” From “A Man Without a Country” by Edward Hale pg. 185 in Prentice Hall Literature book

Example of Theme “Stay away from strangers.” From Little Red Riding Hood by Grimm

Example of Theme “Doing your work quickly and ineffectively can have dramatic consequences .” From The Three Little Pigs by James Orchard Halliwell-Phillipps