Theme
Unit #4
“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
-On Friday we watched a short film based on Shirley Jackson’s short story, “The Lottery” which
was first published in The New Yorker in 1948. Your final reaction was much like everyone
else's the first time they read this dark and horrific short story. Many even cancelled their
subscription to The New Yorker because of it. However, Shirley did not condone the stoning of
someone purely as a sacrifice but instead had a deeper theme she was trying to get across.
To discover this theme please answer the following questions related to the short story.
- What POV was the movie written and shot in? How did this accentuate and
emphasize the final climax and result?
- Even though there really was no individual protagonist or antagonist, who/what do
you think could be categorized as these two opposing forces?
- What physical symbols were seen throughout the story that could have had major
relevance to a theme?
- Based on what we have discussed write 1-2 sentences that best provides the overall
theme of this story.
Definition
Theme: an idea or insight about life and human nature that
gives the story meaning.
• Can be found in all types of genres as well
•
Novels, plays, poems, nonfiction
• Most of time it is unseen yet still vital
•
At the root of the story
Exists only when:
• Author seriously attempted to record life accurately or to reveal some truth about it.
• Author deliberately introduced as a unifying element some concept of life that the story
illuminates.
Brief or Complex
Like a plot, theme can be stated concisely or in greater length
• Sometimes one sentence is sufficient
• Most of the time a theme requires a paragraph or even an essay.
• Take these very deep and rich Shakespearean plays as example:
Othello: “Jealousy exacts a terrible cost”
Macbeth: “Ruthless ambition results in a tragic downfall”
Are these one-lined themes sufficient for a play of this merit?
How to Find Theme
1. Ask how the protagonist changes during the course of a story. Often what the character
learns is what the reader should learn
• “What did the author intend for the reader to learn through the protagonists development?
2. Ask how the conflict is resolved
3. Refer to title
4. Use at least one complete statement. Not a question or condition.
•
“the rewards of old age”
5. Ask what does this work reveal rather than what does this work teach
•
Theme is not a moral to the story.
6. Theme must express a generalization about life or human nature. It should not refer to
specific characters or events in the work.
7. There is no single correct way to state the theme
•
As we practice you will see not one student will derive the exact same sentence
Practice
• The Pedestrian
a) Walking can be the activity that brings about your ultimate demise
b) Loneliness and solitude can be imperative for one’s soul but if pursued too much can result
in a downfall.
c) As culture and technology changes it may demand the altering of humanity despite our
desire to fight it.
• Contents of a Dead Man’s Pocket
a) Work and family can be hard to balance but it is imperative to find a healthy middle
ground
b) Putting yourself in precarious situations can result in higher chances of ending your life
c) Fate may cause you to see the important things in life
Practice
• Everyday Use
a) If you treat one child different than the other they may naturally rebel against you
b) Despite the way you raise a child, they could end up choosing an entirely different
way of life due to cultural surroundings
c) Sisterhood may result in a bitter sweet ending despite the past you may hold with
your sister.
• Storytellers
a) Women are always the worst storytellers
b) Children may need to respect their elders a bit more
c) Sometimes the most moral tales can be the most ineffective
Of Mice and men
a) True friendship is inevitable despite what the economy or world attempts to say
b) Women were once treated as nothing and have come a long way in society
c) Despite the promise of succeeding in this country, many are under a false
impression of achieving what they set out to
Common Misconception
1. Once the theme is stated, the entire purpose of the story has been conveyed.
• A plot and literary writing helps “vivify” a story so that it does not simply appeal to our
intellect but emotions, senses and imagination.
2. The theme is never actually stated within the text but
always implied
• The theme can actually be clearly stated but most of the time
it is implied.
• A author’s first order of business is to “reveal life, not
comment on it.”
Common Misconception
3. A story is always written for the sole purpose of illustrating a theme
• Even though some writers of parables or fables have these intentions, most writers write
to bring alive some segment of human existence.
4. The theme is always the “moral” of the story
• This word is too narrow to define “theme”. Avoid other words such as “message” or
“lesson” when discussing theme for fiction.
• We should stop trying to wring a didactic pronouncement about life from every story.
5. Themes are always new revelations
• Themes can be simply the refreshing of an old emotion, or give new insights.
Purpose of theme: To give a greater awareness and understanding of life, not to inculcate a
code of moral rules for regulating daily conduct.
6 Things to Consider
1. Theme should NOT be defined with 1 words but with structured or though out statements.
2. Theme should be stated as a generalization about life, NOT as names or specifics.
3. Theme should NOT be stated in absolute form. Avoid words like “must” “always” “will” but
instead should be conveyed using “can” “sometimes”.
4. Theme needs to be fully based on the story, NOT contradicting. Must take into consideration
AU.
5. Theme is NOT always one-sided. Sometimes it can be multidimensional.
6. Theme should NOT be defined with familiar sayings or clichés. “You reap what you sew” “Don’t
judge a book by its cover”
Bellwork 11/3
Try to use all we have discussed about arriving at a theme and write a theme for this
short film after viewing it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-a6Pe1ovKHg&spfreload=10 (Partly Cloudy)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzNio77XA8k (Luna)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uh4dTLJ9q9o (Lava)