Identifying Themes

Theme

1. The theme of a fable is its moral or teaching.

2. The theme of a piece of fiction is its view about life and how people behave.

3. In fiction:

   • The theme is not intended to teach or preach.
   • It is not presented directly at all.
   • You extract it from the characters, action, and setting that make up the story.
   • In other words, you must figure out the theme by yourself.

4. The writer's task is to communicate on common ground with the reader.

5. Although the particulars of your experience may be different from the details of the story, the general underlying truths behind the story may be just the connection that both you and the writer are seeking.