Elements of Literature Theme文献主题元素.ppt

Theme What Is Theme? Universal Themes Finding the Theme Making a Judgment Practice Feature Menu What makes a story linger in our hearts and minds long after we’ve read it? Often it is the idea on which the story is built—its theme. What Is Theme? Theme—the central idea, or insight, about life or human behavior that a story reveals Genres Living a simple life leads to greater personal freedom. The deepest loneliness is sometimes felt when we are among friends. What Is Theme? In most stories, the theme is not stated directly. Instead, it is revealed to us through the characters’ experiences. [End of Section] What Is Theme? A theme is a generalization about life or human nature. Certain types of experiences are common to all people everywhere. Different writers from different cultures often express similar themes. Universal Themes shine a light on our common experiences Universal themes come up again and again in literature can help guide us through our lives deal with basic human concerns—good and evil, life and death, love and loss Universal Themes Match these familiar stories to the appropriate universal theme. It pays to work hard and plan ahead. Appearances can be deceiving. Universal Themes Quick Check Stories The Little Red Hen Beauty and the Beast The Three Little Pigs The Ugly Duckling The Frog Prince A B [End of Section] Universal Themes Match these familiar stories to the appropriate universal theme. It pays to work hard and plan ahead. Appearances can be deceiving. Quick Check Stories The Little Red Hen Beauty and the Beast The Three Little Pigs The Ugly Duckling The Frog Prince A B A A B B B Keep the following guidelines in mind when you want to find and state the theme of a work. The theme is not the same thing as the subject. The subject is simply the topic. It can be stated in a single word, such as loyalty. The theme makes some revelation about the subject and should be expressed in a sentence: “Loyalty to a leader is not always noble.