1. Sept. 26, 2011

2. Theme – the main idea or central insight into life, either stated or implied. It must be expressed in a complete statement (a sentence or two) There are several rules to remember when writing theme statements.

3.  Not: Mickey and Minnie should treat Pluto better.  Instead: People should strive to respect pets.

4.  Not: Never believe what others say. (Avoid words like always, never, in every instance)  Instead: You should often consider all factors before believing others. (Use words like sometimes, often, may)

5. Once you identify a theme in a work, consider all the events in the work to make sure there are no contradictions.

6.  Not: The more things change the more they stay the same.  Instead: Life is full of change, but often results are familiar.

7. Practice – Write a theme statement for “Just Lather, That’s All” – make sure it follows the do’s and don’ts of theme statement writing Show me when you are satisfied. Application- write several theme statements based on what we have read in Act 1 of the play. Hang on to these to track them and see which ones are further developed.