1. Theme
What’s the big idea?

2. THEME: The theme of a story is the insight about life or the main idea that the story reveals.
Stories often have more than one theme.
Theme statements are always complete sentences.
Key Question: What is the central idea or
underlying message of the story?

3. What are some stories, songs or movies that express the following theme?
True love will conquer all obstacles and triumph in the end
The strength and determination of a few
people can change the world

4. One way to find a theme… 1. Identify the protagonist.
2. Identify what the protagonist wants (his/her motive).
3. Identify the most significant conflict in the story.
4. Describe how the conflict is resolved.
5. Describe what the protagonist learns or should have learned.
6. Write what we can learn from this in a complete sentence.

5. Beauty and the Beast Who are the protagonists of Beauty and the Beast?
What are the main
conflicts in the story?
How do the protagonists
change during the story?
How do the protagonists
resolve the conflicts?

6. What do we learn from the story?
What are the “life lessons”
we learn from Beauty and the
Beast?
How about…
Don’t judge people by the way they look
Love helps us see other people’s inner
beauty
Love can change people
Candles have French accents and can sing
and dance

7. What are some possible themes from…
“The Cask of Amontillado”
Seeking revenge can destroy the soul.
A simple insult can cause big problems.
Life is full of irony—often cruel irony.
“The Most Dangerous Game”
Sometimes the hunter is the hunted.
Never let your guard down.
Don’t smoke. Seriously. You’ll fall off a boat (probably).

8. UNIVERSAL THEME: A universal theme deals with basic human concerns and common experience.
These themes recur in different cultures and time periods and are found expressed across various literary and artistic genres.
Some common universal themes deal with the horrible tragedy of war, good will triumph over evil, love and loss, etc. 8

9. What is a possible universal theme found in…
“The Most Dangerous Game,” “The Interlopers,” and “The Scarlet Ibis?”
Uncontrolled pride can cause great damage.
Control your pride before it is too late. 9