Themes in Literature

What the Regents calls “controlling idea.”

Elements of Literature

Character + plot + conflict + point of view + symbolism + motifs + style =

Theme

Theme—the central idea, or insight about life and human behavior, that a story reveals

Living a simple life leads to greater personal freedom.

Being amongst friends can lead to the strongest feelings of loneliness.

What is Theme?

In most stories, the theme is not stated directly. Instead, it is revealed to us through the literary elements. It is IMPLIED…except in the case of some children’s books.

Theme arises out of the literary elements and techniques.

They are the puzzle pieces.

Theme is the entire puzzle put together.[End of Section]

What is Theme?

THEME (CONTROLLING IDEA)

characters

similes

plot

conflict

symbols

Point of view

Keep the following guidelines in mind when you want to find and state the theme of a work:

The theme is not the same thing as the topic or a THEMATIC IDEA.

The topic or thematic idea is broad and abstract. It can be stated in a single word, such as loyalty.

The theme makes some revelation about the subject and should be expressed in a sentence: “Too much loyalty leads to downfall.”

Finding the Theme

Topic vs. Theme

Topic Theme

LoveWhat does the piece say about love?

Passionate & rash actions of love lead to downfall.

Notice: the verb phrase “lead to”

Topic vs. Theme

Topic Theme

AmbitionWhat does the piece say about ambition?

Unchecked ambition leads to corruption.

Topic vs. Theme

Topic Theme

Good and Evil What does the piece say about good and evil?

The evil nature of man leads to his inevitable downfall.

Topic vs. Theme

Topic Theme

Plato’s Theory of Forms

(appearance and reality)

What does chapter two say about appearance and reality?

Rewrite your controlling idea now in a “leads to” sentence.