What IS a Theme Anyway?
“Theme is the central message of a literary work. It is not the same as a subject, which can be expressed
in a word or two: courage, survival, war, pride, etc. The theme is the idea the author wishes to convey
about that subject. It is expressed as a sentence or general statement about life or human nature. A
literary work can have more than one theme, and most themes are not directly stated but are implied.
The reader must think about all the elements of the work and use them to make inferences, or
reasonable guesses, as to which themes seem to be implied.”
-from Laying the Foundation series of books published by AP Strategies in Dallas
A theme is NOT
A moral or a command
 It doesn’t tell us how to behave by using
words like “should”, or by commanding.
A common saying
 It isn’t trite, it’s not a cliché, or a maxim, or
an aphorism like, “Actions speak louder
than words,” or “Absence makes the heart
grow fonder.”
Specific to the text
 It doesn’t refer to the specific characters
and plot in the text.
o It DOES, however, draw insight
from a specific character’s
behavior or experiences!
Absolute
 It doesn’t use words like “all,” “none,”
“everything,” or “always,” because that
kind of statement is rarely true, and
usually impossible to prove.
Instead, a theme IS
An observation!
 It makes a comment about the way things
appear to be in reality.
Original and thoughtful
 It should be something that you find
interesting, something a bit philosophical
whose wording you have come up with by
yourself.
General, about reality
 It translates the characters and plot into
generalizations such as “people” or
“parents” or “raising a child,” etc.
Reasonable
 It uses terms like “sometimes,” or “often,”
or refers to limited circumstances, to
suggest a more realistic view of the variety
in life.
How do I write a thematic statement?
Start by listing some of the topics of the text; for example, alienation, prejudice, ambition, freedom,
love, loyalty, passion, etc.). The topic can also be a longer phrase, however, such as the relationship
between love and hate. Use the space below to make a list of topics seen in BOTH “Rosa Parks” by
Douglas Brinkley AND Rosa by Rita Dove.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Choose the two strongest topics that you noticed in both texts and highlight them. Combine those topics with
comments that reflect the author’s observations about human nature. What is the author saying about those
topics? What does the author believe to be true about those topics?
1.
2.
Example Thematic Statements
Courage
allows people to attempt difficult tasks in their lives
Thematic Idea
statement about thematic idea
Independence
Thematic Idea
is necessary to grow up,
statement about thematic idea
even when there is a chance of failing.
qualifying clause (when necessary)
though it can be scary at times.
qualifying clause (when necessary)
Example Thematic Statements for Specific Texts
Text: “Priscilla and the Wimps”
Author: Richard Peck
Thematic Idea: Loyalty____
In _____“Pricilla and the Wimps”_____, _____Richard Peck______ presents the idea that __loyalty____________
Title of text
Author of text
Thematic Idea
makes us do things that are out of our comfort zone___ in order to help a good friend___ when _____________
statement about the thematic Idea
qualifying clause
Priscilla confronts the Kobra and Monk in order to protect Melvin_______________________________________
example from the text
Thematic Statement #1 for “Rosa Parks” and Rosa
First Text: _______________
Author: ______________
Second Text: _______________
Author: ______________
Thematic Idea #1: ___________
In ___________________________, ________________________ presents the idea that ___________________
Title of first text
Author of first text
Thematic Idea
______________________________________ __________________________________ when _____________
statement about the thematic Idea
qualifying clause
__________________________________________________________________________________ . Similarly,
example from the first text
in ___________________________, ________________________ illustrates this same idea when ____________
Title of second text
Author of second text
____________________________________________________________________________________________
example from the second text
Thematic Statement #2 for “Rosa Parks” and Rosa
First Text: _______________
Author: ______________
Second Text: _______________
Author: ______________
Thematic Idea #2: ___________
In ___________________________, ________________________ presents the idea that ___________________
Title of first text
Author of first text
Thematic Idea
______________________________________ __________________________________ when _____________
statement about the thematic Idea
qualifying clause
__________________________________________________________________________________ . Similarly,
example from the first text
in ___________________________, ________________________ illustrates this same idea when ____________
Title of second text
Author of second text
____________________________________________________________________________________________
example from the second text
Which of your thematic statements do you think makes a stronger argument? Why do you think so?
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
How does genre impact the theme of each piece?
Why did Douglas Brinkley choose to write “Rosa Parks” as a literary nonfiction piece? What elements of literary
nonfiction were most beneficial in helping the reader understand the theme?
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Why did Rita Dove choose to write Rosa as a poem? What elements of poetry were most beneficial in helping the
reader understand the theme?
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________