USING IDEAS TO

DETERMINE THEME
ENC 1102 SPRING 2015

IDEAS AND ASSERTIONS

Assertions are opinions.
Conversational Sentence: Its a nice day.
Assertion: A nice day requires light breezes, blue
sky, a warm sun, and relaxation.

An idea that recurs throughout a work is called a

theme.

TOPIC VS. THEME

Topic
General subject of a work

Theme
Central idea or message the author is trying to
convey in a work

Example:
Romeo and Juliet
Topic: Two star crossed lovers
Theme: Love conquers all

IDEAS AND ISSUES

Issues can often be considered equivalent to
ideas.
Issues are not always stated but often inferred
from the text.
Ideas revolve around situations and issues
develop out of those same situations.
Example:
Idea: Social injustice
Assertion: Social injustice leads to a social revolt.
Issue: Social Injustice

IDEAS AND VALUES

Values Principles or standards of what is
important and of worth in life.
Justice, love, honor, generosity, honesty

Ideas can imply and emphasize values.

Idea: Social injustice leads to social revolt.
Values emphasized: Democracy or Justice

Authors use ideas and values together to convey

theme.

FINDING IDEAS IN LITERATURE

Difference between ideas and actions
Action: The main character, Chris, leads the revolt by
leading protests and riots through the city.
Idea: This work shows that social injustice can lead to
a bitter society and may cause social revolt.

Difference between ideas and situations.

Situation: A scene of riots and protests downtown.
Idea: Social injustice sparks an anger in people that
drive them to do crazy things.

Actions and situations help define the ideas,

which make up the theme.

HOW TO FIND IDEAS

Look at the narrative and work as a whole to
determine ideas and theme. No message hunting.
Consider the meaning of what you are reading.
Everyones assertions can be different.
Authors may convey ideas directly or indirectly.
Use different elements of the story to determine
ideas.

HOW TO FIND IDEAS

To find theme look back in the story for main
ideas.
Look back at

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Authors commentary
First-person speaker commentary
Statements made by other characters
Figurative language
Characters that stand for ideas
The work as a whole