Finding+Theme

Literary Devices

Finding the Theme

 media type="youtube" key="2jJSQs1hDjs" height="360" width="640" align="center" Ways to uncover

**the theme in a story: ** *What is the title? *What are the repeating patterns and symbols? *What allusions are made throughout the story? *What are the details and particulars in the story? *What greater meaning may the events have?

**Discovering theme: ** Theme can be discovered only by becoming aware of the **relations among the parts of a story** and of the relations of the parts to a whole including:

**Characters:** What kind of people does the story deal with?

**Plot:** What do the characters do? Are they in control of their lives, or are they controlled by fate?

**Motivation:** Why do the characters behave as they do, and what motives dominate them?

<span style="color: #008080; display: block; font-family: "Comic Sans MS",cursive; font-size: 35px; text-align: left;">**Style:** <span style="color: #008080; display: block; font-family: "Comic Sans MS",cursive; font-size: 35px; text-align: left;">How does the author perceive reality?

<span style="color: #008080; display: block; font-family: "Comic Sans MS",cursive; font-size: 35px; text-align: left;">**Tone:** <span style="color: #008080; display: block; font-family: "Comic Sans MS",cursive; font-size: 35px; text-align: left;">What is the author's attitude towards the subject?

<span style="color: #008080; display: block; font-family: "Comic Sans MS",cursive; font-size: 35px; text-align: left;">Mood: <span style="color: #008080; display: block; font-family: "Comic Sans MS",cursive; font-size: 35px; text-align: left;">What is the author's feelings toward the subject?

<span style="color: #008080; display: block; font-family: "Comic Sans MS",cursive; font-size: 35px; text-align: left;">**Values:** <span style="color: #008080; display: block; font-family: "Comic Sans MS",cursive; font-size: 35px; text-align: left;">What are the values of the characters in the story? What values does the author seem to promote?

adapted from [] <span style="color: #008080; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: left;">and (“Analyzing Theme.” Literature. What Makes a Story Good. Accessed 23 Oct. 2006. <http://www.learner.org/exhibits/literature/read/theme2.html>)