THEME = controlling idea (central insight)

 

 

THEME

 

Do all stories have themes?

 

Is a theme always explicit?



 

THEME >< MORAL

 

THEME

 

HOW TO DISCUSS A THEME:



  • A theme must be stated with subject and predicate.
  • A theme must be a generalization about life.
  • A theme must not be broader than the story.
  • A theme must be the unifying concept of the story.

            1. It must account for all major details.

            2. It must not be contradicted by details.

           3. It must not be supported by supposed facts.
  • There is no one way of stating a theme.

  • The theme should NOT be phrased as a cliché.



    In times of peril, people must support each other to overcome controversy. In the story "The Guest" . . .

     

     

     

     

    The time of this story is that a man must choose his path and all the consequences that come with it.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    The theme of "The Guest" is about choices and accountability.

     

     

     

     

    The theme of "The Guest" is that a man can find or understand the essence of humanity in another despite differences in language, culture, and beliefs.

     

     

     

     

     

    The theme of "The Guest" is the internal battle of Daru having to decide what to do with the Arab prisoner.