Theme
What exactly is this elusive thing called theme?
The theme of a fable is its moral. The theme of a parable is its teaching. The theme of a piece of fiction is its view about life and how people behave.
In fiction, the theme is not intended to teach or preach. In fact, it 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.
The writer's task is to communicate on a common ground with the reader. Although the particulars of your experience may be different from the details of the story, the general underlying truths behind the story may be just the connection that both you and the writer are seeking.
Finding the Theme
Here are some ways to uncover the theme in a story: Check out the title. Sometimes it tells you a lot about the theme.
Notice repeating patterns and symbols. Sometimes these lead you to the theme.
What allusions are made throughout the story?
What are the details and particulars in the story? What greater meaning may they have?
Remember that theme, plot, and structure are inseparable, all helping to inform and reflect back on each other. Also, be aware that a theme we determine from a story never completely explains the story. It is simply one of the elements that make up the whole.
The play version of Susan Glaspell's "A Jury of Her Peers" is called Trifles. What do both titles suggest about the theme?
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