1. Love
Family
Theme
A Writer’s Message
Mother Nature

2. Student Objective
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.

3. The Reader’s Job
Part of your job as the reader is to understand what the author is trying to say.
Rarely will an author come out and say “Hey, this is my message!”
You must make inferences and draw conclusions about what the author is trying to express or communicate.

4. Finding the Theme What to think about…
What is the topic or “big idea” of the work?
What do the characters say or do that relate to the topic?
Based on your responses to the two previous questions, what is the important lesson to learn about life from this piece of literature?

5. What is a “Big Idea” ?
Themes are usually about big ideas like freedom, trust, friendship, family, revenge, good vs. evil and so on.
TIP: Before you read, preview the text for clues about the big idea in the title and in the first and last paragraphs. Look for any repeated or related words or ideas.

6. Finding Theme
Sometimes the author will come right out and tell you the theme…
I looked at all the candy I could buy. I had the dollar, right there in my hand, but suddenly I didn’t feel hungry. I wished that I hadn’t stolen the dollar. I wished I hadn’t taken the money from my brother’s bank.
“I don’t think I want to buy anything today,” I muttered quickly at the clerk. Then I ran from the store. I had learned something important—it’s better to be honest than to have money.

7. Finding Theme
Sometimes the author will come right out and tell you the theme…
I looked at all the candy I could buy. I had the dollar, right here in my hand, but suddenly I didn’t feel hungry. I wished that I hadn’t stole the dollar. I wished I hadn’t taken the money from my brother’s bank.
“I don’t think I want to buy anything today,” I muttered quickly at the clerk. Then I ran from the store. I had learned something important—it’s better to be honest than to have money.

8. Finding Theme
Sometimes, though, the theme is not stated. Then, you need to make an inference.
We knew that it was time to set the butterfly free. We had seen it make its chrysalis and emerge. Then it had flown around the cage trying to stretch its wings. Although we had felt a little sad, we opened the lid to the cage one evening. The butterfly seemed confused and didn’t leave at first. Then, in one burst of zigzag fluttering, it erupted from the cage and flew all the way to the end of the yard and down the hill by the school.
“That was the right thing to do,” Aiden said.
“I know,” I answered even though I was already worried about the butterfly.

9. Finding Theme Theme: Animals are happiest in their natural habitat.
We knew that it was time to set the butterfly free. We had seen it make its chrysalis and emerge. Then it had flown around the cage trying to stretch its wings. Although we had felt a little sad, we opened the lid to the cage one evening. The butterfly seemed confused and didn’t leave at first. Then, in one burst of zigzag fluttering, it erupted from the cage and flew all the way to the end of the yard and down the hill by the school.
“That was the right thing to do,” Aiden said.
“I know,” I answered even though I was already worried about the butterfly.
Theme: Animals are happiest in their natural habitat.

10. Key Concepts About Theme
Remember theme is not the topic of the work but the point about the topic.
It is a statement about life.
A good theme statement shows what lesson about life is important to learn.

11. Practice Which “Big Idea” matches each theme statement?
Courage Revenge
Jealousy Dreams
___________________
____________________
Be careful how you treat people because they may treat you the same.
Face your fears and you can defeat them.
Do not wish for what other possess; be happy with what you have.
Work for what you want in life, and you can achieve any goal.

12. Practice: Passage #1
A doe had had the misfortune to lose one of her eyes, and could not see any one approaching her on that side. So to avoid any danger she always used to feed on a high cliff near the sea, with her sound eye looking towards the land. By this means she could see whenever the hunters approached her on land, and often escaped by this means. But the hunters found out that she was blind of one eye, and hiring a boat rowed under the cliff where she used to feed and shot her from the sea. “Alas!” she cried with her dying voice.

13. Practice: Passage #2
It happened that a dog had got a piece of meat and was carrying it home in his mouth to eat it in peace. Now on his way home he had to cross a plank lying across a running brook. As he crossed, he looked down and saw his own shadow reflected in the water beneath. Thinking it was another dog with another piece of meat, he made up his mind to have that also. So he made a snap at the shadow in the water, but as he opened his mouth the piece of meat fell out, dropped into the water and was never seen more.

14. Practice: Passage #3
A FOX once saw a Crow fly off with a piece of cheese in its beak and settle on a branch of a tree. “That’s for me, as I am a Fox,” said Master Fox, and he walked up to the foot of the tree. “Good-day, Mistress Crow,” he cried. “How well you are looking today: how glossy your feathers; how bright your eye. I feel sure your voice must surpass that of other birds, just as your figure does; let me hear but one song from you that I may greet you as the Queen of Birds.” The Crow lifted up her head and began to caw her best, but the moment she opened her mouth the piece of cheese fell to the ground, only to be snapped up by Master Fox. “That will do,” said he. “That was all I wanted.”

15. Assignment: Theme Statements
On a half sheet of paper, and using the handout on How to Write a Theme Statement, write a theme statement for
1. “The Monkey’s Paw” and
2. “How Much Land Does a Man Need?”