Theme

The theme is the insight about life or human nature that the writer shares with the reader. It is usually not stated directly, but must be inferred.

The theme is the message of a story. Ask yourself this question. What should you learn from the story?

Theme Using Hatchet

Theme Using Weasel

Text Box: Nathan hunts down the violent and disturbed man, but when the opportunity to strike arises, he realizes that such violence would make him no better than the assailant he has been hunting

Text Box: seeking revenge vs. moral choices

Practice

Text Box: Brian kept flying the plane and radioing for help after the pilot died.
Brian hunted and searched for food.
Brian built a shelter to protect himself from the elements.
Brian kept working until he was able to get inside the plane to get the emergency pack. Text Box: Theme Proof (Evidence)

1. THE LION AND THE MOUSE by Aesop A lion asleep in his den was wakened by a mouse running over his face. Losing his temper, he seized it with his paw and was about to kill it. The mouse, terrified, pleaded to the lion to spare its life. "Please let me go," it cried, "and one day I will repay you for your kindness." The idea of so small a creature ever being able to do anything for him amused the lion so much that he laughed aloud and let it go. But the mouse's chance came after all. One day the lion got tangled in a net. The mouse heard the lion’s roars of distress and ran to help. Without hesitation it set to work to gnaw the ropes with its teeth and succeeded before long in setting the lion free. "There!" said the mouse, "you laughed at me when I promised I would repay you; but now you see that even a mouse can help a lion." What is the theme of the story "The Lion and the Mouse?"
A. A hunter's net cannot hold a lion for long. B. A mouse is good at chewing things. C. Lions and mice make good pets. D. Size doesn't matter when doing a good deed.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (excerpt)
L. Frank Baum

Dorothy lived in the midst of the great Kansas prairies, with Uncle Henry, who was a farmer, and Aunt Em, who was the farmer's wife.
Their house was small, for the lumber to build it had to be carried by wagon many miles. There were four walls, a floor and a roof, which made one room; and this room contained a rusty looking cookstove, a cupboard for the dishes, a table, three or four chairs, and the beds. Uncle Henry and Aunt Em had a big bed in one corner, and Dorothy a little bed in another corner.

2. What is the theme of the passage?

A. the plain life of a prairie farm family

B. the things found in a home on the prairie

C. building a prairie home

D. living away from your parents

“The Fox and the Goat” by Aesop (paraphrased) One day a fox fell into a deep well and could not escape. A goat, very thirsty, came to the same well. When the goat saw the fox, he asked if the water was good. The fox, hiding his unfortunate problem by being cheerful, said the water was excellent. He encouraged the goat to jump down. The goat, paying attention to only his thirst, jumped down without thinking. Just as he drank, the fox told him of the difficulty they were both in and suggested an idea for their escape. "If," said he, "you will place your front feet upon the wall and bend your head, I will run up your back and escape, and will help you out afterwards." The goat gladly agreed, and the fox leaped upon his back. Steadying himself with the goat's horns, he safely reached the mouth of the well and made off as fast as he could. When the goat scolded the fox for breaking his promise, the fox turned around and cried out, "You foolish old fellow! If you had thought before you jumped into the well, you would never have gone down before you knew how to get back up, and you would not have exposed yourself to dangers from which you had no means of escape." Choose the best answer. 3. What is a universal theme in this story?
A. Look before you leap. B. Be kind to your enemy. C. Slow and steady wins the race. D. Do not attempt too much at once.

Answer Key