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Theme is defined as a main idea or an underlying meaning of a literary work, which may be stated directly or indirectly.

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The central idea, topic, or point of a story, essay, or narrative is its theme. A theme is a phrase that is based on the text.

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In literature, a theme is a central topic or message a text contains. Themes can be a work's concept that make the reader think or a lesson/value or belief. A story can have multiple themes. A story may have several themes.

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In literature, the definition of theme is the central topic a text treats. In other words, this is the underlying message that a piece of literature is centered around. Some pieces may be direct, while others may need to be inferred.

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Star wars force awakens.
It is about growth, change, and letting go of fear.

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Movie: The Lion King
Theme: Don't run from the past, but reflect on it for the lessons it has to offer.

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In english, the theme is the subject of a talk, a piece of writing, or a person's thoughts. It could be stated in the text or you might have to think about it for a little bit.

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Theme is defined as a main idea or an underlying meaning of a literary work, which may be stated directly or indirectly.

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The theme is the message or overall idea that the text is trying to convey.

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Theme is the main statement or idea the story conveys. It's a main idea that is usually portrayed throughout the story, rather than one event.

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Theme is the main topic or lesson a story/narrative is based around.

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Movie: Beauty and the Beast
Theme: The theme is that beauty is only skin deep. For example don't judge a book by its cover. Once you look past someone's appearances you get to see ones true self. You learn that love is blind.

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Movie: The Beauty and the Beast
Theme: Love is blind(appearance doesn't matter), so it has to go on what it knows about the person. Think of someone for their thoughts and actions, not what they look like.

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Theme is like a moral/ what you learned from your reading.

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A theme is the main topic or subject of something. Also the lesson that something is trying to convey.

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Theme is the big idea or message or a story

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Within literature, the them is an "underlying" message, and or overall lesson the producer (author) wanted to convey through his or her product. In other words, it is the central topic the text comes to depict.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xr_A9z9k-to

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Movie: Cinderella
Theme: Good comes to good people

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Theme is the subject of a talk, a piece of writing, a person's thoughts

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Movie: Mulan
Theme: Be strong. Be independent. But most importantly, be yourself.

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A theme of a book or story is

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Movie: Up
Theme: Never give up on your dreams, for many adventures await. Aim high to reach your goals.

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Movie: Lilo and Stitch
Theme: Family means nobody gets left behind

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In Dumbo, the movie teaches us what makes us different is what makes us special.

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The theme is the message that a reader takes away from story.

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Movie: Pocahontas
Theme: Be open and embrace change.

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Movie: Inside Out
Theme: Happiness is the only useful emotion.

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A theme is a topic, a person's thought, and a life lesson.

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A theme is defined as a central topic/idea that a text has demonstrated.

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Theme is the subject of a talk, a piece of writing, a person's thoughts, or an exhibition; a topic.

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Movie: Ratatouille
Theme: Let your past inspire you, let it motivate you, but never let it hold you back.

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The element common to all or most of the forms of an inflectional paradigm, often consisting of a root with certain formative elements or modifications. Otherwise, a subject or main idea in a piece of writing that expresses their paradigm

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpQgYMZNJLw

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Movie: Pinocchio
Theme: stay truthful no matter what

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Movie: Dumbo
Theme: What makes you different is also what makes you incredibly special.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qpis2X8OAA

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Movie: Toy Story
Theme: Don't do things to endanger your friendship.

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The theme is the topic, or big idea of  something.

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Theme is the basic/Main information of a character,story or an article.

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the subject of a talk or a scene. "the theme of the sermon was reverence"

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Movie:Frozen
Theme:Love,Friendship,Courage and Motivation

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFq0sj2803g

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The theme of a book or story is a lesson or moral. The theme is what the author is teaching and the main lesson of the story or book.

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cars 3
moving through different phases of life, and self-reflection are the most prominent themes in the film

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Movie: Tangled
Theme: Life can flourish and begin once you step outside your comfort zone.

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Movie: Inside Out
All your emotions are equally important and all have have a positive impact in a way, in relation, everyone is important and everyone id different.

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Movie: Monsters inc.
Theme: Scaring can be cruel.
Treat others the way you want to be treated.
How you treat your friends always matters.

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Movie: UP
Theme: Never give up on your dreams, for many adventures still await.

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Movie: Zootopia
Theme: Follow your dreams

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The theme of a story is the lesson of the story. What the author tried to convey through his/her writing.

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Theme: The main idea or underlying meaning of a literary work.

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disney movie beauty and the beast theme: "they need the beast to marry a princess to save the rest of the castle."

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Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4qME64SkxM

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Movie: Sleeping Beauty
Theme: Jealousy doesn't do anything. "Two wrongs don't make a right."

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Movie: Zootopia.
Theme: Follow your dreams and you will get there.

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Movie: Frozen

Family will always stay with you and help you.

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

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Movie: Mulan
Theme: "The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all." (Be strong, be independent, but most importantly, be yourself no matter what other people think.)

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Fun Animation Showing How to Identify a Theme within a Story

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The theme is the main lesson or idea of something.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4qME64SkxM

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Movie: Cinderella
Theme: Dreams can come true if you work hard for them

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oc_EIuG-CjM

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIuKNVny9cM

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

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Movie: Moana
Theme: Never give up your dreams.

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Theme is the stem of a noun or verb; the part to which inflections are added, especially one composed of the root and an added vowel.

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xr_A9z9k-to

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8muSkXjPHE

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4qME64SkxM

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Toy Story
Be kind to the new people in your life and they will help you eventually, even if they are ruining it.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3_Bb9wGObY

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https://www.flocabulary.com/unit/theme/

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Theme is the central idea of something.

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Theme in Literature - Theme - Teaching Theme - Flocabulary

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Learn how to identify themes in literature with Flocabulary's educational hip-hop video and activities.

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https://youtu.be/_qpis2X8OAA

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8muSkXjPHE

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Debbie Notari

Debbie Notari received her Bachelor’s degree in English and M.S. in Education Literacy and Learning for Grades 6-12. Debbie has over 28 years of teaching experience, teaching a variety of grades for courses like English, Reading, Music, and more.

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Kaitlyn Danahy

Kate has a bachelor's degree in literature & creative writing from Gordon College. She taught high school literature, philosophy, and writing in India and has tutored for the same subjects in the US.

View bio

The theme in literature pertains to the critical belief or message that the author wants to convey to readers. Understand the definition of the theme in literature with some examples. Updated: 09/16/2021

Defining a Theme

The theme in a story is its underlying message, or 'big idea.' In other words, what critical belief about life is the author trying to convey in the writing of a novel, play, short story or poem? This belief, or idea, transcends cultural barriers. It is usually universal in nature. When a theme is universal, it touches on the human experience, regardless of race or language. It is what the story means. Often, a piece of writing will have more than one theme.

Think about some T.V. sitcoms you have seen that you have found trite and boring. Was there a significant problem in the T.V. show that needed to be solved? Probably not. In much the same way, if a piece of writing doesn't have deeper meaning than we can just see on the surface, it is just as shallow as the T.V. sitcom. In order for writing to be meaningful and lasting, it needs to have a theme.

Video

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How Does a Writer Develop Theme?

So how does a writer develop a theme for a story, poem or narrative? It really comes down to what the writer believes about life. If a writer has a belief system or feels strongly about certain things - and most people do - then, those strong life views will be reflected in his or her writing. For a work to last, it needs depth, and depth in writing reflects depth in the writer.

We could go on and on with great examples of theme, but we won't - I promise. Let's just look at three examples and analyze what gives depth and meaning to these pieces of literature.

Take Golding's The Lord of the Flies, for example. We know that Golding taught in a boys' school and later fought in WWII. He writes, 'I began to see what people were capable of doing. Anyone who moved through those years without understanding that man produces evil as a bee produces honey, must have been blind or wrong in the head.' In The Lord of the Flies, Golding took his belief about evil being resident in the human heart, even in children, and set about to prove this by placing young boys on a deserted island. If they were good at heart and only corrupted by their environment, then the boys would be well-behaved. But, if they were bent toward evil, the result would be chaos. Chaos wins. Thus, a deeper meaning in The Lord of the Flies would be that man is capable of evil and that evil dwells in the human heart. Whether or not the reader agrees with Golding's analysis, this novel will most likely always be considered an enduring classic because of its depth of meaning.

In Julio Noboa's poem 'Identity', we see an entirely different theme. Let's read the poem, first:

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Dissecting Themes

As the lesson says, themes are the main message of any story. Sometimes, themes are more complex, better akin to questions an author poses and explores multiple possible answers to instead of answers themselves. In this exercise, you will learn about how writers explore themes through answering several questions about the story.

The Beginning:

Choose a favorite story of yours. It can be a TV show, movie, book, or video game. If you pick a comedy such as a TV sitcom, try to see if there is a deeper meaning (sometimes there is!). If not, pick another story.

Character Arcs:

Who is the main character? Who is the antagonist?

For example, in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Harry is the main character and Voldemort is the main antagonist.

What do they have in common? (This will often lead you to the main theme of a story.)

Harry Potter's parents died and Harry survived a curse that should have killed him the same day Voldemort also died. Thus, Harry and Voldemort are connected by death: the main theme.

How does this connecting idea motivate each of the characters? What are the differences?

Harry desperately wants to be reunited with his parents. Voldemort wants to fully return to life and is eager to kill to do so. Harry's desire to overcome death is motivated by love; Voldemort's by selfishness. (You could conclude love and selfishness are two other themes in addition to death.)

Symbols and Motifs:

What symbols and motifs can you identify in the story that relate to the theme?

The Philosopher's Stone creates an elixir of life; everyone is seeking it, or seeking life.

Fluffy the three-headed dog is a symbol of death; in mythology a three-headed Cerberus guards the underworld.

The unicorn Voldemort kills is a symbol of innocence that he is willing to destroy in order to come back to life.

Resonance:

How does the story's resolution affect the theme? Does it answer any question the theme might have asked?

Harry is saved by the love of his mother, even though she is dead. Thus, love enables someone to continue to live after death, and you can conclude the question is about how to deal with death.

Why do you think the theme resonates with people? Does it resonate with you?

Love and death are real for everybody.

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What is Theme in Literature? - Definition & Examples - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com

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The theme in literature pertains to the critical belief or message that the author wants to convey to readers. Understand the definition of the...

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKjw-bQdBY8

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A theme is the main topic

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A theme is a main idea of story.

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Mulan
Be strong, be independent, but most importantly, be yourself, no matter what other people think.