Lesson 26 — Activity 3: Theme


Earlier in the course, you learned about themes within short stories. The theme of a novel is usually the author's observation about society or human behaviour. While the author is telling a story, he or she is using that story to get you to think about the way you live or the way people treat each other.

Theme is not the same thing as the plot or content of the story or poem. The elements of literature that you have considered so far help the writer develop and express the theme of the novel. Looking for clues in the title, the characters' words, attitudes, and actions, the plot, the language that is used, and other elements will give the reader an understanding of the theme of the novel.


The theme of the story is:

  • rarely stated directly
  • the central idea or message that the author wants to reveal through the piece of literature
  • a perception about people and/or humanity that is often meant to challenge the reader's own attitudes and beliefs

The author:

  • wants the readers to learn about themselves or some aspect of humanity







Theme must always be stated in a complete sentence. It answers the question, “What is the story telling me about life or how people interact?”

The author’s message relates to the story but also has meaning for you. You should be able to make connections between the characters and events in the story and people and events in your life.

Look at the terms in the box on the right. Are there any that apply to your novel? If not, think of a term that does apply. Take some time to consider what the author is saying about life and/or humanity in the novel, Big Burn.

Listed below are words around which a theme is often developed:

  • ambition
  • beauty
  • betrayal
  • courage
  • duty
  • feer
  • freedom
  • happiness
  • jealousy
  • lonliness
  • love
  • loyalty
  • prejudice
  • suffering

 
Sometimes the moral of the story is confused with the theme. They are not exactly the same concept, yet sometimes thinking about the moral or lesson of the story can help you understand the author's ideas. The difference between a theme and a moral is that a theme asks you to think about the things people do, perhaps from a different perspective than you might be used to, and the moral or lesson tells you how people should behave, or what you should learn from the story.

Theme and plot are not the same either. The plot is what happens in the story, while the theme is the idea or ideas you think of as you follow the events of the plot.

Digging Deeper!

Click on the Play button below to review a video that you watched in Theme 2 on how to identify theme in literature.