1. An Idea About Life…

2.  The subject is just the topic (which can be stated in a single word, such as love).  The theme is the lesson about the subject. A theme should be expressed in a statement.

3.  Does the main character change? If so, how?  Does the main character realize something that he did not know before? Does this realization change the character in a positive or negative way?  Example  How does Ebenezer Scrooge change in A Christmas Carol?

4.  The way a conflict is resolved often gives hints or clues about the theme.  Example  How is the conflict resolved in The Tortoise and the Hare?

5.  Is there a clue in the title of the story?  Example:  What is a possible theme in The Boy Who Cried Wolf?

6.  Does your statement of the theme apply to the whole work and not just one part of it? Themes either connect the story through the plot of events or are constantly brought up throughout the text.

7.  Different people often express the same theme in different words.  People might have different opinions about the main theme.  The best literary works often have more than one theme.