Theme Essay (Literary Analysis)

Theme Essay (Literary Analysis)

What exactly is theme?

1.  The theme of a fable is its moral.

2.  The theme of a parable is its teaching.

3.  The theme of a piece of fiction is its view about life and how people behave.

In fiction, the theme is not presented directly at all. You extract it from the characters, action, and setting that make up the story. In other words, you must figure out the theme yourself.

Finding the Theme

Here are some ways to uncover the theme in a story:

1.  Check out the title. Sometimes it tells you a lot about the theme.

2.  Notice repeating patterns and symbols. Sometimes these lead you to the theme.

3.  What allusions are made throughout the story?

4.  What are the details and particulars in the story? What greater meaning may they have?

3- PARAGRAPH DEFINITIONS
Thesis Paragraph
·  Introduces the reader to a theme identified in a story
·  Is a brief description of the setting and theme
·  introduces the reader to your basic understanding of the text in a broad, general way
·  Transition sentences narrow your topic or provide hints at the things to come in your body paragraphs.
·  thesis sentence concisely defines your theme / Body Paragraph
·  Within these paragraphs you will support your theme with evidentiary facts from the story (and any other source)
·  The facts are chosen because they support the theme.
·  Generally a scene from the story allows you to choose two facts that help to define your theme.
·  Observation sentences allow you to evaluate the author's intent and/or to prove your thesis. / Summary Paragraph
·  Review your thesis sentence and the body paragraphs.
·  Then, conclude with a declaration of the value/importance of your theme

FORMATTING THE PAPER:

·  Introductory Paragraph

§  Topic Sentence: theme, character, setting

§  Two transition sentences

§  Thesis Sentence

·  Body Paragraphs:

o  Order of Importance:

§  three arguments that support the theme,

§  from most important to third in importance.

o  Each Body Paragraph will have(You should have 3)

§  topic sentence

§  two to three citation sentences with commentary sentences

·  one quotation (4-6 words in length) for each paragraph

·  Summary sentence that reviews the theme and events.

·  Summary Paragraph

o  Thesis Sentence revisited...different word order

o  One to three sentences that review the three Body Paragraph topic sentences

o  Concluding sentence that argues for the theme's importance

Theme Graphic Organizer:

kb H:\Theme handout.doc 10/11/2011