Conflict and Theme

Name ______

Theme, or the relationship between a text and real life, is often revealed through a tension or conflict between two forces in a work of fiction. The four major types of conflict that dominate the world of fiction are:

  • Human beings in conflict with themselves
  • Human beings in conflict with one another
  • Human beings in conflict with nature
  • Human beings in conflict with society or a culture

Often fictional texts involve more than one of these conflicts.

Think about the story “Marriage is a Private Affair,” and then complete the chart below to identify the important conflicts that occur. You will describe the conflict that occurs, and then identify the type of conflict present. After the story is complete, go back to the third column and rank the conflicts in order of important.

Description of Conflict / Type of Conflict / Rank of Importance of Conflict
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Just as in real life, conflict in a work of imaginative literature can teach us truths about what it means to be human. If a reader can determine at least one of the conflicts that a work contains, he or she can often find in it the means to uncover a thematic idea and a statement of theme.

Definitions of Key Terms:

Thematic Idea: a general subject the author explores through the plot and characters

Statement of Theme: a complete, declarative statement specific to the work that links the conflict with the insight about life that the work reveals. This statement functions as a possible thesis statement in an analytical essay

Example:

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

  • Conflict: human beings in conflict with themselves
  • Specific Thematic Idea: redemption (the act of learning to improve oneself or to right a wrong)
  • Statement of Theme: In his novel, A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens reveals the power of redemption by illustrating the change in Mr. Scrooge from a miserly old money-changer who shuns the world to a generous, compassionate human being who values love and friendship and the Christmas spirit. (Note that this is a declarative statement that does not mention specific characters—it’s general in nature, although it applies to the play.)

Work Together to Complete This Example:

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

  • What was the major conflict in Romeo and Juliet? ______
  • What was the thematic idea in Romeo and Juliet? ______
  • Statement of Theme: In his play Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare reveals ______by ______.

______

Conflict and Theme in Marriage is a Private Affair:

Think about the lesson the author wants us to take away from Marriage is as a Private Affair. Which conflict best shows you what he is trying to express about the thematic idea? Complete the section below.

  1. What was the major conflict in Marriage is a Private Affair? ______
  2. What was the thematic idea in Marriage is a Private Affair? ______
  3. What is a potential statement of theme for this story? Remember it will a complete statement that explains WHAT is learned about the thematic idea.

______