Different Approaches to Finding Themes in Literature

Transcription

1 Different Approaches to Finding Themes in Literature A theme isn t something that's stated outright; it often appears as a lesson or message that the reader understands by reading between the lines. A book of fiction can have many themes. Why? Because different people can find different meanings in books. You may find a lesson that others don t see.

2 Character, Identifying theme through Plot, and Setting From The Language of Literature (145-7)

3 Theme Expressed Through Setting By giving details about time and place, the setting of a story can provide important clues to the theme. Consider how a dark and bleak setting makes you feel versus a sunny and happy setting (optimistic versus pessimistic feelings, for example). It is important to look at how the author describes the setting, and how that author potentially offsets or contradicts those descriptions. Also consider when the story is taking place now, in the future, in the past, in between all three? Is this a commentary on where the author thinks we, as humans, are now or where we could be in the future? Think about why the writer chose a particular setting. Ask yourself if the same events could have happened elsewhere or another time. How would this have affected the story? Draw conclusions about how the setting affects the characters, the plot, or the overall atmosphere of the story.

4 Theme Expressed Through Character Most often, characters are carefully crafted to represent aspects of the theme. Consider the roles the characters play in the story. Do the characters represent moralistic extremes (either very moral or very amoral)? Are the characters trustworthy? Are they overly ambitious or are they totally void of motivation? Usually, characters aren t so cut and dry; sometimes, they are both good and evil; happy and sad; nurturing and destructive. To determine their true nature and how this nature is reflective of the story s theme, the reader must consider how the characters interact and what motivates each persons actions. Through the character s actions and motives, the author is potentially commenting on what drives every human. Pay close attention to the characters, roles, actions, and motives. Determine what ideas about life or human nature a character s personality and values reveal. Apply your own generalizations about human nature as you read

5 Theme Expressed Through Plot Since the characters actions drive the plot, the decisions that they make, including the outcomes of those decisions, often express a theme or insight about life. Did a character s decision lead to the best outcome? If not, on what might the author be commenting? Even an unresolved plot can have very powerful themes about the uncertainty of life and the ambiguity surrounding our own existence. Identify the conflict. A writer s choice of conflict and the way the conflict is resolved (or not) may be clues to a theme. Draw conclusions from a character s actions, the results of those actions, and the things a character learns from the actions.

6 Theme in Nonfiction In narrative forms of nonfiction, such as autobiography and biography, theme is very similar to what it is in fiction, a perception about life that must be inferred from the events and the development of a person s life. In non-narrative form of nonfiction, such as news reports, articles, and essays, the theme is the main idea or opinion that a writer wants a reader to understand. The theme of an essay is often called a thesis and is more directly stated than the theme of a story. In autobiographies and other forms of narrative nonfiction, look at important events and draw conclusions about a person s values. In news reports, articles, ad essay, look for a strong statement at the beginning or the end that expresses the main idea or thesis.

7 Strategies for Drawing Conclusions about Theme When you draw conclusions, you combine text information with prior knowledge. After you have looked at all the events and details in a selection, you re ready to make a logical conclusion about the meaning of these details. Use a table like the one below to gather clues about setting, character, and plot that hint at a deeper meaning. Below is an example of how to complete the table. Setting Character Plot Theme Effects of no sunshine: drab, gray landscape Tom and Lily learn how important the sun is. They decide to protect the cottage from Mr. Noakes. Connect the experiences discussed in the piece of writing to your own experiences. Most themes in literature are implied. Draw conclusions from the details to make general statements about characters, events, and setting.

8 Subject Identifying theme through and Message* *While this method is much simpler, it requires a very critical reading in order to produce a single word to accurately represent the overall subject of a text.

9 STEP 1 When you finish reading a book, ask yourself to sum up the book in a single word. For example, you could say a single word that symbolizes The Three Little Pigs is sturdiness, since one major lesson in this book is to use sturdy building materials. A single word for the book Little Red Riding Hood could be deception. Deception is the subject of the book.

10 STEP 2 Next, stretch that single word into an (opinionated) message, like "the innocent are vulnerable to deception." This is a theme for Little Red Riding Hood.

11 Symbols Can Be Clues to Your Themes Literature is an art, and the beauty of art is that it can be interpreted differently by everyone. The message of a fiction book is much like the message of a beautiful painting. It is not something that is stated in a particular sentence and easily located; it is something that is comprehended upon reflection. Sometimes an object such as a bridge or a large body of water will appear over and over in a book. The object could actually be a symbol or motif which represents or sheds light on the theme. If you notice that an object does seem to be a strong and meaningful symbol in a book, try to determine any possible deeper meaning of that object. A bridge represents a crossover or change, doesn't it? If you notice a few bridges, and you notice that your main character is going through a big change, you can be sure that the bridge is being used as a symbol. When you decide upon a theme, make sure to use examples and quotations from the book as you write the essay, to prove that the theme is important. Remember, as long as you have evidence to back up your theme idea, you're on the right track.

12 Common and Broad-Sweeping Themes The Quest for Immortality Man vs. Society Man vs. Self Man vs. Nature Man vs. the institution How justice and injustice are decided What it means to be a hero or anti-hero What it means to be a survivor Man s experience with alienation and despair The artist s relationship and obligation to society What tomorrow s world holds for us Love in its various forms These are common foundations of themes. Readers can use these to start off their own identification of their text s theme, but readers should not consider these themes in and of themselves. Yes, many can consider the theme of Frankenstein to be man vs. self or the quest for immortality, but what exactly is Mary Shelley, the author, saying about man vs. self or the quest for immortality? This is for you, the reader, to decide.

13 WATCH THE VIDEO How to Find a Theme in a Book: