The theme of a story is the larger message the story holds for you – the big idea. To find the theme, think about what you can learn about people, or about life in general when you’ve finished a story.
Think: “What’s the valuable lesson I could learn from this story?” The answer will be the theme.
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A theme is NOT a summary of a story. A summary tells what happens in the story: the beginning, the middle, and the end. A theme enlarges your understanding of life when you’ve thought about the characters and events in the story. A story can have more than one main theme, but it’s important to think about the story as a whole (not just the little lessons along the way).
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Here are questions to ask yourself to help you find the theme of a story:
- How does the main character change during the story?
- What made the character change?
- What lessons did the character learn (that you could also learn)?
- What are the character’s feelings about what happened in the story?
- What main conflict does the character engage in, and what happens as a result?
There are many common themes in literature. They are lessons to help us be better people and lead happier lives.
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Click on the links below to read about some common themes. Which themes do YOU think are important to remember?
Real Friends Don’t Make You Feel Bad Inside by Shannen
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