1. FIRST SECOND
THIRD
FOURTH
FIFTH
SIXTH
6 Traits of a Theme

2. FIRST X “Loyalty to country often inspires heroic self-sacrifice.”
It should be expressible in the form of a statement with a subject and a predicate.
“Loyalty to country often inspires heroic self-sacrifice.” X
Loyalty

3. Second
It should be stated as a generalization about life.
Gatsby’s longing for Daisy led him to a life of deceit and corruption and eventually, caused his downfall. X
“Love and desire can often lead one to make drastic and life-changing decisions.”

4. Third
The generalization must not be larger than what is justified by the story.
“Ongoing conflict between groups of people may lead some to dissent, potentially setting in motion a string of devastating events.”
Family feuds will always lead children to disobey the wishes of their parents. X
Romeo and Juliet

5. Fourth
Theme is the central and unifying concept of a story. X
Love conquers all.
“Complete devotion and unconditional love can overcome a myriad of obstacles.”
Romeo and Juliet

6. Fifth There is no one way of stating the theme of a story.
*Conflict is composed of opposing forces.
*Conflict may be natural or human made.
*Conflict may be intentional or unintentional.
*Conflict may allow for synthesis and change.
* Note: These are starting points. Your theme should be much further developed than this.

7. X Sixth Avoid cliches (like the plague). Love conquers all.
An idle mind is the devil’s playground.
Every cloud has a silver lining.
What goes around comes around.
You can’t judge a book by its cover.
Love is blind.
Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

8. Let’s Practice!
Choose one of the following titles (that you have read):
1) The Great Gatsby
2) The Crucible
3) To Kill a Mockingbird
On your own:
1) Begin with a list of theme IDEAS (single words or simple phrases) that come to mind.
2) Choose one of those ideas and expand it into a true theme statement.

9. Let’s Practice! Partner up with someone who chose the same title.
1) The Great Gatsby
2) The Crucible
3) To Kill a Mockingbird
Have students enter themes. Go through each one and have the class check to see if they meet requirements. Also try to guess the book (should be obvious if they did it well).
Together:
1) Compare your statements.
2) Choose one or work together to create a collaborative statement.
3) When you have a statement you are comfortable with, enter it into Socrative. Class Code: 2ZQGNYAJB