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What is the meaning of theme and central idea?

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What is the meaning of theme and central idea?

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Essentially, a theme of a text is the message or lesson. Themes within a text consist of occurrences found within the plot; for instance, a text with reoccurring deaths would have a theme of not only death, but probably also heartbreak and what grief can cause. Themes are often continuously found throughout a text, whereas the central idea may not be evident until the end of a text. The central idea consists of all of the key details found throughout the text, and the central idea is what the text is truly about.

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Watch to learn more about the difference between theme and central idea!

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Watch to learn more about the difference between theme and central idea!

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Why is it important to find the theme and central idea of a text?

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Why is it important to find the theme and central idea of a text?

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Before answering this question.. it may be more vital to think about why we read. So, ask yourself, "Why do I read?" I understand that reading may not be everyone's cup of tea, so even try to consider why others would want to read.

Readers read to escape reality, learn new ideas, appreciate other cultures and ethnicities, and to even occupy themselves; truthfully, people readers for ALL kinds of reasons!

Reading can bring students to having really engaging discussions, and most of the discussion topics happen to rely on the themes and the central idea found within the text. Normally, students can find some kind of relation or a conversation piece within the text, so finding the central idea and themes can lead to really great thoughts.

Remember... English doesn't have to be about writing, grammar rules, and vocabulary words. English can be fun and engaging discussions about everyday life.

Please watch the Crash Course video linked to learn more about why we read and how English can help us communicate in our everyday lives.

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How and Why We Read: Crash Course English Literature #1

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Please follow this link to learn about the most popular themes found within a text along with a description of each theme!

You will quickly notice, if you haven't already, that a lot of text share the themes even if they're used in different contexts.

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Taking an In Depth Look at Central Idea...

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Taking an In Depth Look at Central Idea...

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Just like themes, there are some texts that have very similar central ideas. Please use this link to learn more about what a central idea is, how to identify a central idea, and examples of central ideas.

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The central idea is the central, unifying element of the story, which ties together all of the other elements of fiction used by the author to tell the story. The central idea can be best described as the dominant impression or the universal, generic truth found in the story. Therefore, the central idea statement should avoid using the names of characters.

Central ideas reflect the discoveries, emotions, conflicts, and experiences of a story's main character. They are commentaries about the way the world works and or how the author views human existence. Central ideas are supportable. Try to find the interpretation that is most easily supported and covers the greatest percentage of story.

The central idea or theme of a story is an author's comment, usually implied, on the subject of his narrative. It is insufficient to say that the central idea of a story is about "loyalty" or "motherhood." For example, a poorly written central idea for the story of Cinderella would say: "Cinderella is the story of a poor, servant girl who overcomes the cruelty of her family and lives happily every after with Prince Charming." On the other hand, a well-written central idea would say something like: "The story ofCinderella reveals that people who are kind and patient are often rewarded for their good deeds." For theWizard of Oz, instead of saying it is "about a girl named Dorothy who learns to appreciate the life that she has," you might say: "TheWizard of Oz reveals that when people lose sight of reality, they sometimes forget to appreciate the beauty of their everyday lives."

Examples of poorly written central ideas:

* The central idea is about love. (not a complete statement)
* Jackson's tale suggests that Tessie was treated unfairly. (not generic or universal)

* The central idea reveals that we are cruel and don't see ourselves as others do. (omit first person in central idea)

* Poe's story is about how people react to tragedy. (you should answer the question of how people do react to tragedy)

* The central idea is that you can't trust people because they will sometimes try to deceive you. (omit second person)

* Hemingway suggests that some people feel that the grass is always greener on the other side. (omit clichés)

Examples of well-written central ideas:

* The story reveals that the overwhelming desire of a one-sided infatuation can blindly drive people to seek intimacy in the name of love.
* The central idea is that a person who has difficulty dealing with reality will sometimes escape into a fantasy world.

To identify the central idea or theme, one must also look at the other elements of fiction (plot, characters, setting, conflict, etc.) to explain how the author has tied all of these together. In order to understand the central idea or theme of the story ask yourself the following questions:

How is the central idea or theme expressed through the characters, setting, point of view, tone, language, or conflict?

In what way does the resolution of the external conflict indicate the central idea or theme? How does the resolution of the internal conflict express the story's theme?

Are symbols, metaphors, or similes used to portray the central idea or theme?

What are the repeated images, words, or expressions in the story?

How does the title make sense in terms of the story? Is it significant?

What the story reveal about society, people in general, the roles of men and women, the time period in which the story takes place?

Does the central idea make sense in light of the story and the title?

Remember, there is no one way to express the central idea of a story (but some statements are definitely better than others). The best stories have multiple levels of meaning and require MORE THAN ONE READING before the central idea becomes clear.

Helpful Links About the Elements of Fiction

Created by Becky Villarreal Austin Community College 2001

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The central idea is the central, unifying element of the story, which ties together all of the other elements of fiction used by the author to tell the story. The central idea can be best described as the dominant impression or the universal, generic truth found in the story.

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Put Your Knowledge of Themes to The Test!

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Put Your Knowledge of Themes to The Test!

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Put your knowledge of what you've learned about themes so far and try to answer the questions on a test via this link:https://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/story.php?title=theme_9

After you have finished the quiz, please write down how many you got right out of the total amount of questions. We will use this grade in the future!

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It's also important to practice finding the central idea of a text just like how you previously practiced finding the themes. Please use this link to access some questions about central idea:https://www.softschools.com/quizzes/language_arts/main_idea/quiz1510.html

After you have finished the quiz, please write down how many questions you answered correctly out of the total amount of questions.

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Before adding a personal spin to this lesson, please watch the humorous video linked above. This video will you help be able to find themes while also giving you a little laugh.

I want you all to think about a book you really love, perhaps it's your favorite book or may even a book your eye catches around the room, and write down all of the major themes within the book. Not only do I ask of you to write the themes, but please describe them in some depth.

The following questions will help you with the descriptions:
1. What scenes are the themes shown in?
2. How many times is this theme shown?
3. What is the moral of the theme? What did the characters learn from the theme?

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Fun Animation Showing How to Identify a Theme within a Story

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Please watch the informational video linked above. Although it may not be as engaging as the previous linked video, please know I chose this video because it clearly describes what a central idea is and the steps for you to find it.

Just like with the previous assignment, please choose your favorite book, it can be the the one you chose for the themes assignments, and write down the central idea. Try to choose a book you have read before, even if it may not be your favorite, so that you don't have to read a new book to do this assignment.

Please also include the steps you took to find the overall central idea.

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How to Determine the Central Idea of Informational Text

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To wrap up this lesson, I want to see where you all stand on this topic: theme and central idea.

Please answer the following questions on a sheet of paper and turn it in to me:
List 3 things you learned from this lesson.
List 2 things you found interesting from this lesson.
Lesson 1 question you may have about this lesson.

Use the graphic above for a visual aid.