A friend of mine taught a class on
Theme yesterday. She shared a YouTube video that had a lot of good points about
what theme is, how to find it, and why we as readers should bother with it. I
want to share some of the steps, giving full credit to mistersato411 on YouTube
for the information.
Click here to watch complete video:
These
are the main questions that Mr. Sato brings up: 1. What is theme? 2. How do I
find it? 3. Why should I bother?
1. The simplest explanation is that
theme is like the moral of the story. It’s the message or meaning the author
wants you as the reader to take away from the story. Theme is a debatable
opinion about a subject. If you have an opinion about what the theme is, and
you have the textual evidence to back it up, it’s a valid theme. Always
remember though; a book can have several themes.
2. How to find the theme(s) in a book:
A. Watch the main character. Does
he or she change in some important way over the course of the book?
B. Watch for statements of theme.
Sometimes the author will simply state the main theme, often near the end of
the book.
C. Look at the title for clues to
the theme. (Pride and Prejudice, To Kill a Mockingbird, etc.)
D. Look at the main conflict of the
book for clues to the theme.
3. Why should I bother with the
theme of a book? Mr. Sato answers this very well. He says, “Making meaning from
literature—finding a theme—is a real-world skill that can help you be a
smarter, happier person. It allows you to learn from the experiences someone
else has had. You don’t have to experience them yourself.”
I
really liked that last point. I think that’s one of the reasons we read—to learn
something—even if it’s just how not to act in certain situations.
In
tomorrow’s post I’ll apply Mr. Sato’s steps to finding theme to Warrior Heir.
Happy Reading (And hunting for theme in your
favorite book)!
Tru
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