Moving From Subject to Theme Statement
Subject
Theme statement
One word – see theme vocabulary list
Expressed in a complete sentence; no character or author names/work titles; not morals or lessons, but universal ideas
The individual in nature
man vs. nature
Nature reminds us about how vulnerable we really are.
Intellect is no match for the raw forces of nature.
The individual in society
man vs. society
Strength of character is often measured in how well we can stand by our convictions even
when they are considered unpopular or dangerous.
The individual and knowledge
Man’s quest for knowledge regardless of his intentions can be disastrous.
The practice of science without responsibility is immoral.
Love
Without love, life has no meaning.
Love can be a powerful force for change.
Alienation
Alienation can lead to self-knowledge.
Being human requires us to be a part of something greater than just ourselves.
Initiation and maturation
Our childhood experiences often shape who we become as adults.
A person grows only as much as he or she is willing to change.
Death
Death is a part of life that can give life its ultimate meaning.
Death is inescapable, despite our efforts to the contrary.
Moving From Subject to Theme Statement
Subject
Theme statement
One word – see theme vocabulary list
Expressed in a complete sentence; no character or author names/work titles; not morals or lessons, but universal ideas
The individual in nature
man vs. nature
Nature reminds us about how vulnerable we really are.
Intellect is no match for the raw forces of nature.
The individual in society
man vs. society
Strength of character is often measured in how well we can stand by our convictions even
when they are considered unpopular or dangerous.
The individual and knowledge
Man’s quest for knowledge regardless of his intentions can be disastrous.
The practice of science without responsibility is immoral.
Love
Without love, life has no meaning.
Love can be a powerful force for change.
Alienation
Alienation can lead to self-knowledge.
Being human requires us to be a part of something greater than just ourselves.
Initiation and maturation
Our childhood experiences often shape who we become as adults.
A person grows only as much as he or she is willing to change.
Death
Death is a part of life that can give life its ultimate meaning.
Death is inescapable, despite our efforts to the contrary.
Roberts 2009-2010
Adapted from Liz Davis, Round Rock HS
THEME VOCABULARY
Brendan Kenny’s List of Abstract Ideas for Forming Theme Statements:
alienation
ambition
appearance vs. reality
betrayal
bureaucracy
chance/fate/luck
cruelty/violence
loyalty/disloyalty
journey (literal or psychological)
despair, discontent*,
disillusionment*
domination/suppression
heart v. reason
instinct
heaven/paradise/Utopia*
home
illusion*/innocence
initiation*
identity
courage/cowardice
loneliness/solitude*
defeat/failure
memory/the past
music/dance
social status (class*)
the supernatural
time/eternity
war
women/feminism
children
law/justice
custom/tradition
materialism
mob psychology
dreams/fantasies
duty
exile*
education
guilt
persistence*/perseverance*
faith/loss of faith
family/parenthood
patriotism
game/contests/sports
escape
prejudice
ritual/ceremony
poverty
free will/will power
prophecy
falsity/pretence
repentance*
greed
revenge/retribution*
scapegoat/victim
THEME VOCABULARY
Brendan Kenny’s List of Abstract Ideas for Forming Theme Statements:
alienation
ambition
appearance vs. reality
betrayal
bureaucracy
chance/fate/luck
cruelty/violence
loyalty/disloyalty
journey (literal or psychological)
despair, discontent*,
disillusionment*
domination/suppression
heart v. reason
instinct
heaven/paradise/Utopia*
home
illusion*/innocence
initiation*
identity
courage/cowardice
loneliness/solitude*
defeat/failure
memory/the past
music/dance
social status (class*)
the supernatural
time/eternity
war
women/feminism
children
law/justice
custom/tradition
materialism
mob psychology
dreams/fantasies
duty
exile*
education
guilt
persistence*/perseverance*
faith/loss of faith
family/parenthood
patriotism
game/contests/sports
escape
prejudice
ritual/ceremony
poverty
free will/will power
prophecy
falsity/pretence
repentance*
greed
revenge/retribution*
scapegoat/victim
Roberts 2009-2010
Adapted from Liz Davis, Round Rock HS
THESIS GENERATOR
A + B or B + A
A – HOW does the author convey meaning
(Identify two devices)
Through
<device 1>
and
<device 2>
,
B – WHAT the author has to say
(Tone, theme, characterization, etc.)
<Author>
<”show” verb>
part of the prompt> .
<the WHAT
Example from Oates’s We Were the Mulvaneys:
Through imagery of juxtaposed symbols of innocence and adulthood and sentence structures which
emulate Judd’s contemplations and epiphanies, Oates portrays Judd Mulvaney as both a child
confronting the reality of death’s inevitability and as an adult reflecting on the life-altering nature of
this epiphany.
THE THREE-STEP INTRODUCTION
1. Statement of theme/universal idea represented in the selection;
2. Link between universal idea and selection;
3. Thesis statement
Example from Oates’s We Were the Mulvaneys:
1
Step 1:
Universal idea
The realization of one’s own mortality may be the threshold between the
blissful naivete of childhood and the sober understanding of adulthood. Although
most often this realization sinks in gradually, there are often specific moments that
spur our newfound understanding of death and all its implications. 2In the excerpt
Step 2:
Links
universal idea
to selection
from Joyce Carol Oates’s We Were the Mulvaneys, the adult narrator, Judd Mulvany,
reflects on a moment in his childhood in which death first entered his
consciousness. 3The juxtaposed symbols of Judd’s bike and his father’s pickup, the
moving brook and the stationary railing, as well as the contrasting sentence
Step 3:
Thesis
statement
fragments and run-on sentences, reveal the young Judd’s astonishment and anxiety
at his discovery, and the mature Judd’s wistfulness in recounting this pivotal
moment.
Roberts 2009-2010
Adapted from Liz Davis, Round Rock HS