How to turn a theme into a thesis statement.

TTheme - a main idea or an underlying meaning of a literary work that may be stated directly or indirectly. IIn other words….the main point of a literary work (paper, book, movie, poem, etc) You will be concentrating on the theme of a paper.

1. Love and Friendship 1. Stories and Movies the this theme: 1.Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespear 2.Stand by Me by Steven King 3.A Winter’s Tale by Akiva Goldsman 2. War 1. The Odyssey by Homer 2. Troy based on The Illiad by Homer

 You can choose love, reputation, silence, fear, human nature vs. religion, the contradiction of Puritan values…and so on.  If you choose any of these themes…. 1. First step, choose up to 3 or 4 characters that the theme connects to. 2. Next, describe how the character connects to that theme.

Theme is Reputation John Proctor Judge Danforth Abigail Williams A person’s name is the link to their reputation. Reputation is what stays with a person long after they are dead. People do not trust those with a bad reputation. The characters in The Crucible cherish their reputation. Names and reputations are passed down through generations.

IIt tells the reader how YOU will interpret the significance of the subject matter (theme) under discussion IIt tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper IIs usually a single sentence somewhere in your first paragraph that presents your argument to the reader

What we have so far…..  Theme: Reputation  3 Characters: John Procter, Abigail Williams, and Judge Danforth  4 Statements connecting the characters to your theme (you may use one of these or combine all of them to form your thesis) Thesis Statement: According to the characters in The Crucible, reputation is the direct link to one’s name, which is forever connected to a person long after they are gone.

 Theme: Fear  Choose 3 Characters:  Make a Map of the thesis with the characters, and create 3-4 Statements connecting the characters to the theme.