Transcript Mini Lesson: Theme

MINI LESSON:
THEME
REVIEW…
◦ The five literary elements found in all fictional literature…
◦ Characters : who
◦ Setting: where/when
◦ Plot: how
◦ Conflict: what
◦THEME: WHY!
Theme
◦A theme is…
◦the author’s central message
or idea in a story.
◦expressed in a general
statement.
◦is about human beings or
about life.
HOW TO FIGURE OUT THE THEME OF A
FICTIONAL STORY…
1. CENTRAL IDEA:
What topics or big ideas does the story deal with?
2. SO WHAT?
So what is the author saying about that central
idea?
What VIVID VERBS or VIVID ADJECTIVES can you use
here?
3. EXPAND:
Put it into a Theme Statement combing Central Idea
with a Vivid Verb or Adjective.
A CHRISTMAS CAROL:
HOW TO FIGURE OUT THEME
What topics or
big ideas does
the story deal
with?
What is the
author saying
about one of
these topics?
Put it into a
THEME
statement!
Possible Theme Statements for
A Christmas Carol
◦ The welfare of others is everyone’s concern.
◦ There is joy in doing good for others.
◦ The Christmas spirit should be alive in people all year long.
◦ People can change for the better.
◦ It is never too late for redemption.
◦ Guilt and regret have transformative powers.
“THE RAVEN”
1. CENTRAL IDEA:
What topics or big ideas does the poem deal with?
2. SO WHAT?
So what is the author saying about that central
idea?
What VIVID VERBS or VIVID ADJECTIVES can you use
here?
3. EXPAND:
Put it into a Theme Statement combing Central Idea
with a Vivid Verb or Adjective.
POSSIBLE CENTRAL IDEAS OF
“THE RAVEN”
Madness
Sorrow
Death
Grief
Loss
Love
Torture
“THE RAVEN” – SO WHAT?
VIVID VERBS AND ADJECTIVES
The author is saying that extreme grief has a profound effect on the
mental state of a person.
avoid
escape
imagining
descending
maddening
crazy
relentless
significant
torturous
“THE RAVEN” – A THEME
STATEMENT
avoid
escape
imagining
descending
maddening
crazy
relentless
significant
torturous
Significant grief can cause a descent into
madness.
NOW YOU TRY WITH “ELENA”
1. CENTRAL IDEA:
What topics or big ideas does the poem deal with?
2. SO WHAT?
So what is the author saying about that central
idea?
What VIVID VERBS or VIVID ADJECTIVES can you use
here?
3. EXPAND:
Put it into a Theme Statement combing Central Idea
with a Vivid Verb or Adjective.
NOW YOU TRY WITH “ELENA”
1. CENTRAL IDEAS:
perseverance, determination, disappointment, pride,
frustration, shame, humiliation
NOW YOU TRY WITH “ELENA”
2. SO WHAT IS BEING SAID ABOUT DETERMINATION?
The author is saying that a mother will go to any length
necessary to maintain a close relationship with her child.
VERBS
ADJECTIVES
Interfere
humiliate
adapt
dedicated
uneducated
NOW YOU TRY WITH “ELENA”
3. EXPAND IN A THEME STATEMENT:
Isolation can lead to determination.
The perseverance of a mother is fierce.
Cultural divides can instill isolation.
Humiliation does not break the will of one who is
determined.
HOMEWORK
1. Choose a poem to read: “Mirror” or “Supple Cord.”
2. Using all necessary strategies, read the poem multiple
times and annotate.
3. Decide upon a few applicable Central Ideas for the
poem.
4. Write a possible theme statement:
Central
Idea
So what?
Theme
statement
WRITER’S CRAFT
Turn and talk:
What are some examples of writer’s craft that
poets use to convey meaning in their poems?
TYPES OF WRITER’S CRAFT
Punctuation/capitalization
Word choice
Figurative language / Sound devices
Repetition
Topic of poem
Setting
Title
Verb tense
Pronouns - POV
Allusion
Presentation of text on page (shape, length,
line/stanza breaks)
IDENTIFYING EVIDENCE
Theme Statement for “The Raven”
Significant grief can cause a descent
into madness.
What evidence from the poem supports this theme?
(think about writer’s craft)
IDENTIFYING EVIDENCE
Both pieces of evidence show significant
grief. Which is a stronger example?
“vainly I had sought to borrow / From my books
surcesase of sorrow – sorrow for the lost Lenore”
OR
“by these angels he hath sent thee / Respite – respite
and nepenthe, from thy memories of Lenore; / Quaff,
or quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!”
IDENTIFYING EVIDENCE
Both pieces of evidence show a descent into
madness. Which is a stronger example?
“Be that word our sign in parting, bird or fiend!” I
shrieked, upstarting - / “Get thee back into the
tempest and the Night’s Plutonian shore!”
OR
“Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber
door - / Some late visitor entreating entrance at my
chamber door; - / This it is and nothing more.”
IDENTIFYING EVIDENCE
Significant grief can cause a descent into madness.
Evidence
Explanation
“vainly I ha sought to
borrow / From my books
surcease of sorrow –
sorrow for the lost Lenore”
Poe uses the writer’s craft
of repetition of words to
show the speaker’s
incredible grief. He also
uses punctuation in a
deliberate way by using
the dash between the
repeated words to give
them more emphasis.
IDENTIFYING EVIDENCE
Significant grief can cause a descent into madness.
Evidence
Explanation
“’Respite – respite and
nepenthe, from thy
memories of Lenore; /
Quaff, oh quaff this kind
nepenthe and forget this
lost Lenore!’”
The word choice of
nepenthe and forget shows
the speaker’s intense grief.
To understand how sad the
speaker is, the reader must
know that nepenthe is an
ancient medicine used to
relieve pain or sorrow.
IDENTIFYING EVIDENCE
Significant grief can cause a descent into madness.
Evidence
Explanation
“’Is there – is there balm
in Gilead? – tell me – tell
me, I implore!’”
Poe uses the allusion
about a balm in Gilead
to show the speaker’s
significant grief. The
balm in Gilead is a
reference to the Bible; it
was a cream that was
used to heal people.
IDENTIFYING EVIDENCE
Significant grief can cause a descent into madness.
Evidence
Explanation
“’Prophet!’ said I, ‘thing
of evil! – prophet still, if
bird or devil!’”
Poe uses the writer’s craft
of punctuation to show
the speaker’s descent
into madness. As the
poem goes on, more
exclamation marks are
used to show the
speaker’s strong emotion
and madness.
IDENTIFYING EVIDENCE
Significant grief can cause a descent into madness.
Evidence
Explanation
“’Get thee back into the
tempest …’”
“’Leave no black plume
…’”
“’Leave my loneliness
unbroken!’”
“’Take thy beak from out
my heart …’”
Poe uses sentence
structure to show the
speaker’s madness. In
the final stanzas, the
speaker uses imperative
(command) sentences as
he shows his anger with
the raven and the bird’s
perceived message.
IDENTIFYING EVIDENCE
Try this on your own.
• Pick one of the poems you read.
• Find several pieces of evidence to support the theme.
(Consider examples of author’s craft in addition to
direct quotes that show the theme.)
• Record them in the chart along with an explanation
of how each example supports the theme. Be sure
your explanation mentions the type of writer’s craft.
How to use a direct quote
correctly
Think of a SANDWICH!
1. Lead in
2. Quote
3. Wrap Up
The Quote Sandwich
When Scrooge is shown
his gravestone by the
ghost, he vows, “I will
honor Christmas in my
heart and try to keep it
all the year.” In other
words, Scrooge
promises to keep the
spirit of the Christmas
season all year long.
THE FORMULA:
Lead In
• Give a context using
5Ws
Direct Quote
• Word for word what was
written in the text.
• 1-3 sentences is ideal.
Wrap Up
• What does the quote
mean in your own
words?
2 COMMON
MISTAKES
Common mistake #1
sprinkling quotes
vs. imbedding quotes
Don’t Sprinkle…imbed!
◦ Incorporate quotes into your paragraph.
◦ Do NOT begin or end a paragraph with a
quote.
◦ Non-example:
Scrooge hates Christmas and then he
changes. “I will honor Christmas in my heart
and try to keep it all the year.” Scrooge
makes a promise.
Where’s the context? Who’s speaking?
COMMON MISTAKE
#2
Drive-by quoting
Don’t Participate in Drive-By
Quoting!
◦Do NOT put a quote into your
writing with no explanation.
◦Non-example:
Scrooge says, “I will honor
Christmas in my heart and try to
keep it all the year.”
Where’s the explanation?
Strategies for imbedding a
quote:
Set up a context for the quote.
◦ Think 5Ws
After the quote, explain what it
means in your own words.
Connect the quote back to
your reason.
IMBEDDING A QUOTE
sentence starters:
Before the quote add…
After the quote add…
◦ X states, “ _______.”
◦ Basically, X is saying ______.
◦ According to X, “__.”
◦ In other words, ______.
◦ In his book, X
describes, “_____.”
◦ In X’s view, “_____.”
◦ In making this comment, X
argues that _____.
◦ X’s point is that, ____.
◦ What __ really means is ___.
AVOID:
◦ This quote shows _________.