A theme expresses an attitude or observation about the topic that can be proven with examples from the text.
Don't judge people by the way society labels them.
Look for the good things in life.
Keeping a childlike wonder and love of life can make life better.
There is lots of good in the world.
Noticing and appreciating nature can make life better.
Stay true to yourself.
It is important to stay loyal to friends and family.
Prejudice can lead to wrong conclusions.
Prejudice can lead to wrong violence.
Treat others as you want to be treated.
Families need to stick together.
Family members need to help each other.
Labels do not limit you unless you let them.
Characteristics of a Good Theme Statement
1. Theme must be expressed in a complete sentence. “Love and rejection” is not a
theme statement. It is just an indication of the topic of the story. What in particular
is the author saying about love and rejection?
2. Theme should describe the general meaning of a story, not specific events, actions
or characters. Do not use the names of characters in the story when stating the
theme. You should make specific references to the story, however, when providing
relevant details and examples to support your theme statement.
3. The theme must hold true for the story as a whole, not just part of it. Pay particular
attention to the story’s conclusion to make sure that the outcome matches what
you think the theme is.
-->
