IDENTIFYING THEMEHere's how to do it...

WHAT IS THEME?

Theme is the underlying message of a story or poem

Theme is a big idea: something you can learn about life in general

REMINDER:

Theme is NOT a single word...that might be the topic of the text

For example, the topic could be family.

The theme is related to the topic, but it's a message or lesson about it.

Ex: Family will always be there for you.

FINDING THEMES

Sometimes an author will directly tell you the theme of the text.

If this is the case, the theme will usually be written at the end of the story/poem.

If the theme is not stated, you will have to make an inference.

DIRECTLY STATED:

Walking down the hallway with her best friend, Lisa realized it is better to stand up for what you believe in than to follow the crowd.

INFER:

"I'm glad you told them they were wrong," Madison said. "Imagine if you hadn't? You'd be in the principal's office, right next to them!"

TIP:

One of the best ways to identify theme is to ask yourself one of the following questions:

What did the main character learn?

How did the character change from the beginning of the story to the end?

What does it seem like the author is trying to get across to the reader?