Analyzing Theme
Layers of Comprehension
Learning Objectives
By the end of this presentation, students should be able to:
Skills Needed
Key Words
Identify the theme of a story or poem.
Identify the theme of a story or poem.
Getting the Message
How do we learn important truths?
Think about a time when you faced a big problem. Your friends and family may have given you stern warnings or great advice, but you still had to find your own way. And your own way may have been the hard way. Experience is a powerful teacher. And the great thing about literature is that sometimes it engages us so well and so completely that we feel we are experiencing the events of the story. When a main character learns a lesson or truth about life, some readers will learn the same lesson--even while avoiding the difficult situation that produced the lesson. Watch this video to learn more about how stories can be a window into other people's lives and lessons. *Watch video in textbook Why is it better for an author to let the details of a story reveal its theme, instead of stating the theme directly?
Characters in a story learn lessons in much the same ways you do. They face conflicts and difficult choices. They make mistakes and then correct them. Most important, they often come out of their experiences as different people from when they started. The theme of a story emerges from the conflicts and their outcome. To analyze a story's theme, you must look closely at the main characters and their situation. What conflicts do the characters face, and how do they deal with the challenges? In particular, how does the main character change as a result of the conflict? In "The Force of Fury," the story's main character is a girl named Lainey who dreams of going away to college. However, Lainey lives in a nightmarish future world in which her options are not simple. Read the passage below, and then answer the questions that follow.
Building Blocks
What elements suggest or support a story's theme?
Building Blocks
What elements suggest or support a story's theme?
What is Lainey's world like, and how does this environment affect her choices?
All the Pieces
Any detail in a story has the potential to "unlock" the story's theme--or at least play a major role in its development. The only way you can identify the most important passages is to read the story from start to finish and look for anything that seems significant. The first time you read a story, you're just trying to "get" the story's plot and theme, though. You may have to look at the story again, and more carefully, to analyze its theme. If you haven't yet read the short story "The Force of Fury," read it now, looking for clues that suggest the story's theme.
What parts of a story can contribute to the development of theme?
The Force of Fury “You won’t believe what came in the mail today,” Mom called out to me before I got both feet in the kitchen door. “What?” I asked. She walked into the kitchen and tossed a thick manila envelope down on the counter in front of me. “Take a look.” I dropped my bag of fighting equipment to the floor and walked to the kitchen sink to wash the blood and debris from my hands. “How about you just tell me?” I said. After all, I was exhausted from spending the entire day training with the generals. “Just open the envelope, Lainey.” “Fine.” I dried my hands on the kitchen towel and checked them for open wounds before picking up the envelope. The gash I’d gotten from the pack of wild beasts I fought a week prior was finally starting to heal. Aside from that, and a few dozen scars, they were clean.
I grabbed the envelope and noticed there was no return address. I opened the flap where Mom had already torn it open. Way to respect my privacy, I thought, and reached into the envelope, pulling out a letter and a large packet. It wasn’t just any letter. It was the letter. “Read it,” Mom pressed. Dear Ms. Malloy, It is with great pleasure that we inform you of your acceptance into The American University of Rome. “I got accepted,” I whispered. “I know!” Mom exclaimed and grabbed me in her arms. “You can finally get out of here, Lainey!” Then more quietly, “Just like we had always dreamed.” My hands shook as I thought about getting out of Detroit, away from the infectious disease that killed my father and was now threatening every living creature in North America. I would finally be in a normal place--like the places Mom said used to exist, before the Fury hit. “Do you think it’s true?” I asked. “What, dear?”
“Do you think it’s true that the Fury hasn’t reached Italy yet?” “That is what the generals have said,” Mom assured me. “I have to believe there’s some place that hasn’t been ruined. Oh, Lainey, your father would be so proud of you.” My eyes fell to a picture of Mom and Dad that hung on the refrigerator door. I knew that Mom was still mourning his death even though he had been in the very first round of casualties. It had been almost 15 years since the factory had become infested and everyone inside had been quarantined. Mom had stood outside for days, hoping Dad would be released. He never was. “It says I need to start the cleansing examinations next Monday,” I told her, hoping it would be enough to get her mind off of Dad. “I saw that,” Mom replied, the sorrow still in her eyes. “So, we better get busy packing. They won’t let me send you anything after the first cleansing process has been completed, you know.” “I know,” The realization of what I would be leaving behind suddenly hit me. “Do you think they would let you come with me?” “What?” Suddenly, I realized that I couldn’t handle the thought of leaving Mom here while I went off to a better
place, a place free from the constant conflict she had been living with for years. “Do you think they’d let you come too?” I asked. Mom placed a hand on my shoulder. “Lainey, it was hard enough getting the government approval for you to leave. The only reason you received clearance was because you’ve been training with the initiative since you were twelve. You’ve completed your service—I haven’t.” “How am I supposed to just leave you here?” “You just are,” she said and kissed my forehead. For a brief moment, I let myself believe that Mom and I both had a chance at a real life. But it was a brief moment indeed, because in the moment that followed that one, a wild beast crashed through the kitchen window and landed directly on top of Mom. I watched as she and the beast plummeted to the ground. “NO!” I screamed as I saw it tear at her arm. “Lainey, run!” Mom yelled. I looked around for my bag and saw it on the other side of the beast. I had no clear path to it. I took a deep breath and reviewed the encyclopedia of training information stored in my mind. Our training had been detailed and concise. It was meant to prepare us for the worst, to prepare us for this.
With a powerful thrust, Mom sent the beast yelping into the air. She scrambled to her feet and ran toward me. “Run!” “No!” I yelled back, knowing that running would only entice the animal. The generals had been clear about that in the chapter, Defense Against the Wild. Running only led to chasing, and all of the training in the world would not prepare us for the speed of a wild beast. The cold night air blew in from the broken window created by our enemy. The beast stood in front of it, its chest heaving, its sharp, jagged teeth dripping with blood. Blood. I turned and looked at Mom, who was standing behind me, clutching her arm. She had been bitten and with that one bite, the beast had taken away any chance Mom had of ever leaving the country. The beast crept towards us, its long claws clicking on the linoleum tile of our kitchen floor. I looked out the window again, searching for an exit. I needed to get Mom out of the house, to save us both. I knew that if I could get us into the fields, into the cold dark of night, our chances of survival would increase exponentially. It would be too difficult for the beast to track us. The wind would lessen our scent. The fields could provide us the distance we needed. As the beast inched closer, I crouched down low to the ground. I wanted to give it a false sense of victory. The gestured worked, and the beast slowed its pace. “Mom, I need you to move to the door and grab my bag.” I whispered.
She nodded and slowly shifted from behind the safety of the kitchen cabinets to the back door. The beast, whose focus remained on me, inched closer. My eyes shifted to my bag, filled with the supplies we would need to survive the outdoors. Now that Mom had been bitten, we wouldn’t be able to return. The government would quarantine her, and I would never see her again. I waited until the beast was close enough to feel confident I had become his prey, and then I made my move. Swiftly, I rolled behind the cabinet to the other side. The beast, stunned, attempted to run at me. “Bag!” I yelled and Mom threw it to me. I didn’t have enough time to reach inside for any of my government issued defense tools. As the beast lept at me, I pulled my arms back and swung my bag with all of my might. The heavy metal weapons were more than the beast had bargained for, and the force sent it flailing backward, crashing into the kitchen wall. It fell unconscious to the floor. I knew it would only be a minute or two before the beast would be on the move again, our scents lingering in its nostrils. We had to move, and it had to be fast. I knew it would only be a minute or two before the beast would be on the move again, our scents lingering in its nostrils. We had to move, and it had to be fast.
“Let’s go.” I said and moved towards the door. Mom, who had wrapped the kitchen towel I had just used to dry my hands around the wound on her arm, quickly limped through the door. As I followed behind her, I turned to close the door and took one last look at the home I would never see again. Before I shut the door, I caught a glimpse of the manila envelope lying on the countertop. With a deep breath, I closed the door behind me, and locked it.
Putting it Together
Which details contribute the most to theme?
In a good story, all of the elements serve a purpose, like the building blocks a child uses to build a tower. However, some elements of a story contribute more to the development of theme than others. Some events and details exist mostly to set the scene and to move the plot along. They are important, but they don't directly support the theme. Once you feel that you understand a story's intended message, you can look back at details in the story and analyze how the writer developed the theme.
The Right Questions
When you analyze a story's theme, you look for aspects or sections of the story that are key to the development or expression of the theme, and you identify why and how these elements are important. As with most reading skills related to literature, the best way to improve your ability to analyze theme is to practice asking yourself some questions as you read. Look through this tab set to see what questions help you analyze a story's theme.
What questions help you uncover the theme of a story?
What is the main character's situation?
The Conflict
The theme of "The Force of Fury" is closely related to the conflict between Lainey's dreams of a better life and her loyalty to her family: She has to choose between her own comfort and security and the survival of what's left of her family.
What happens to complicate the main character's situation?
Character Choices
Read the passage below.
Lainey has to make a split-second decision. How might her choice be related to the story's theme?
What does the main character learn from the central conflict and its outcome?
Conclusion
Lainey's mother gets bitten by the beast, taking away any chance of her leaving the country with Lainey. "The Force of Fury" ends with this paragraph:
What choice has Lainey made? What theme might this choice support?
Next you will read a short story titled "The Gift of the Magi," by O. Henry, an author known for plot twists that are meant to teach a lesson about life. O. Henry's story includes some words that were used much more often when he was alive and writing than they are now. Since you may not be familiar with the words listed below--or even recognize them--spend some time now getting to know them.
Grow Your Vocabulary
What words will you need to know later in this lesson?
Vocabulary Words
O. Henry's story, "The Gift of the Magi," is a very popular short story that most American students are asked to read at some point during high school. O. Henry is famous for stories with plot twists that, in the end, suddenly make a great deal of sense. Watch this introduction to the story to learn some other characteristics of O. Henry's writing. In the Christian New Testament, the Magi were three wise and wealthy kings who traveled a long way to bring gifts to the infant Jesus. As you read or listen to the first two paragraphs of "The Gift of the Magi," remember the original meaning of the phrase that O. Henry has selected as a title. What conflict does the character Della face, and how might this conflict relate to the theme of the story? *Watch video in Textbook
Use What You Know
Use your new analytical skills to explore the meaning of "The Gift of the Magi."
Use What You Know
Use your new analytical skills to explore the meaning of "The Gift of the Magi."
In your Own Words
Can you explain the theme or underlying message of this story?
Suppose you had only pennies to spare and you had saved up every one, as Della has, to buy someone a Christmas present. What would you have to feel for that person to work so hard at saving? What else might you give up to try to make that person happy? To find out what Della was willing to do--and what her husband also was willing to do--read the rest of "The Gift of the Magi." Then use the questions beside the story to guide you in analyzing the story's theme.
“The Gift of the Magi”
Assess Yourself
Assess Yourself
Take your Analyzing Theme Quiz
Analyzing Theme
Ashley Campion
Created on February 4, 2026
Start designing with a free template
Discover more than 1500 professional designs like these:
View
Essential Business Proposal
View
Project Roadmap Timeline
View
Step-by-Step Timeline: How to Develop an Idea
View
Artificial Intelligence History Timeline
View
Momentum: Onboarding Escape Game
View
Momentum: Manager Guide
View
Wizardry Letter
Explore all templates
Transcript
Analyzing Theme
Layers of Comprehension
Learning Objectives
By the end of this presentation, students should be able to:
Skills Needed
Key Words
Identify the theme of a story or poem.
Identify the theme of a story or poem.
Getting the Message
How do we learn important truths?
Think about a time when you faced a big problem. Your friends and family may have given you stern warnings or great advice, but you still had to find your own way. And your own way may have been the hard way. Experience is a powerful teacher. And the great thing about literature is that sometimes it engages us so well and so completely that we feel we are experiencing the events of the story. When a main character learns a lesson or truth about life, some readers will learn the same lesson--even while avoiding the difficult situation that produced the lesson. Watch this video to learn more about how stories can be a window into other people's lives and lessons. *Watch video in textbook Why is it better for an author to let the details of a story reveal its theme, instead of stating the theme directly?
Characters in a story learn lessons in much the same ways you do. They face conflicts and difficult choices. They make mistakes and then correct them. Most important, they often come out of their experiences as different people from when they started. The theme of a story emerges from the conflicts and their outcome. To analyze a story's theme, you must look closely at the main characters and their situation. What conflicts do the characters face, and how do they deal with the challenges? In particular, how does the main character change as a result of the conflict? In "The Force of Fury," the story's main character is a girl named Lainey who dreams of going away to college. However, Lainey lives in a nightmarish future world in which her options are not simple. Read the passage below, and then answer the questions that follow.
Building Blocks
What elements suggest or support a story's theme?
Building Blocks
What elements suggest or support a story's theme?
What is Lainey's world like, and how does this environment affect her choices?
All the Pieces
Any detail in a story has the potential to "unlock" the story's theme--or at least play a major role in its development. The only way you can identify the most important passages is to read the story from start to finish and look for anything that seems significant. The first time you read a story, you're just trying to "get" the story's plot and theme, though. You may have to look at the story again, and more carefully, to analyze its theme. If you haven't yet read the short story "The Force of Fury," read it now, looking for clues that suggest the story's theme.
What parts of a story can contribute to the development of theme?
The Force of Fury “You won’t believe what came in the mail today,” Mom called out to me before I got both feet in the kitchen door. “What?” I asked. She walked into the kitchen and tossed a thick manila envelope down on the counter in front of me. “Take a look.” I dropped my bag of fighting equipment to the floor and walked to the kitchen sink to wash the blood and debris from my hands. “How about you just tell me?” I said. After all, I was exhausted from spending the entire day training with the generals. “Just open the envelope, Lainey.” “Fine.” I dried my hands on the kitchen towel and checked them for open wounds before picking up the envelope. The gash I’d gotten from the pack of wild beasts I fought a week prior was finally starting to heal. Aside from that, and a few dozen scars, they were clean.
I grabbed the envelope and noticed there was no return address. I opened the flap where Mom had already torn it open. Way to respect my privacy, I thought, and reached into the envelope, pulling out a letter and a large packet. It wasn’t just any letter. It was the letter. “Read it,” Mom pressed. Dear Ms. Malloy, It is with great pleasure that we inform you of your acceptance into The American University of Rome. “I got accepted,” I whispered. “I know!” Mom exclaimed and grabbed me in her arms. “You can finally get out of here, Lainey!” Then more quietly, “Just like we had always dreamed.” My hands shook as I thought about getting out of Detroit, away from the infectious disease that killed my father and was now threatening every living creature in North America. I would finally be in a normal place--like the places Mom said used to exist, before the Fury hit. “Do you think it’s true?” I asked. “What, dear?”
“Do you think it’s true that the Fury hasn’t reached Italy yet?” “That is what the generals have said,” Mom assured me. “I have to believe there’s some place that hasn’t been ruined. Oh, Lainey, your father would be so proud of you.” My eyes fell to a picture of Mom and Dad that hung on the refrigerator door. I knew that Mom was still mourning his death even though he had been in the very first round of casualties. It had been almost 15 years since the factory had become infested and everyone inside had been quarantined. Mom had stood outside for days, hoping Dad would be released. He never was. “It says I need to start the cleansing examinations next Monday,” I told her, hoping it would be enough to get her mind off of Dad. “I saw that,” Mom replied, the sorrow still in her eyes. “So, we better get busy packing. They won’t let me send you anything after the first cleansing process has been completed, you know.” “I know,” The realization of what I would be leaving behind suddenly hit me. “Do you think they would let you come with me?” “What?” Suddenly, I realized that I couldn’t handle the thought of leaving Mom here while I went off to a better
place, a place free from the constant conflict she had been living with for years. “Do you think they’d let you come too?” I asked. Mom placed a hand on my shoulder. “Lainey, it was hard enough getting the government approval for you to leave. The only reason you received clearance was because you’ve been training with the initiative since you were twelve. You’ve completed your service—I haven’t.” “How am I supposed to just leave you here?” “You just are,” she said and kissed my forehead. For a brief moment, I let myself believe that Mom and I both had a chance at a real life. But it was a brief moment indeed, because in the moment that followed that one, a wild beast crashed through the kitchen window and landed directly on top of Mom. I watched as she and the beast plummeted to the ground. “NO!” I screamed as I saw it tear at her arm. “Lainey, run!” Mom yelled. I looked around for my bag and saw it on the other side of the beast. I had no clear path to it. I took a deep breath and reviewed the encyclopedia of training information stored in my mind. Our training had been detailed and concise. It was meant to prepare us for the worst, to prepare us for this.
With a powerful thrust, Mom sent the beast yelping into the air. She scrambled to her feet and ran toward me. “Run!” “No!” I yelled back, knowing that running would only entice the animal. The generals had been clear about that in the chapter, Defense Against the Wild. Running only led to chasing, and all of the training in the world would not prepare us for the speed of a wild beast. The cold night air blew in from the broken window created by our enemy. The beast stood in front of it, its chest heaving, its sharp, jagged teeth dripping with blood. Blood. I turned and looked at Mom, who was standing behind me, clutching her arm. She had been bitten and with that one bite, the beast had taken away any chance Mom had of ever leaving the country. The beast crept towards us, its long claws clicking on the linoleum tile of our kitchen floor. I looked out the window again, searching for an exit. I needed to get Mom out of the house, to save us both. I knew that if I could get us into the fields, into the cold dark of night, our chances of survival would increase exponentially. It would be too difficult for the beast to track us. The wind would lessen our scent. The fields could provide us the distance we needed. As the beast inched closer, I crouched down low to the ground. I wanted to give it a false sense of victory. The gestured worked, and the beast slowed its pace. “Mom, I need you to move to the door and grab my bag.” I whispered.
She nodded and slowly shifted from behind the safety of the kitchen cabinets to the back door. The beast, whose focus remained on me, inched closer. My eyes shifted to my bag, filled with the supplies we would need to survive the outdoors. Now that Mom had been bitten, we wouldn’t be able to return. The government would quarantine her, and I would never see her again. I waited until the beast was close enough to feel confident I had become his prey, and then I made my move. Swiftly, I rolled behind the cabinet to the other side. The beast, stunned, attempted to run at me. “Bag!” I yelled and Mom threw it to me. I didn’t have enough time to reach inside for any of my government issued defense tools. As the beast lept at me, I pulled my arms back and swung my bag with all of my might. The heavy metal weapons were more than the beast had bargained for, and the force sent it flailing backward, crashing into the kitchen wall. It fell unconscious to the floor. I knew it would only be a minute or two before the beast would be on the move again, our scents lingering in its nostrils. We had to move, and it had to be fast. I knew it would only be a minute or two before the beast would be on the move again, our scents lingering in its nostrils. We had to move, and it had to be fast.
“Let’s go.” I said and moved towards the door. Mom, who had wrapped the kitchen towel I had just used to dry my hands around the wound on her arm, quickly limped through the door. As I followed behind her, I turned to close the door and took one last look at the home I would never see again. Before I shut the door, I caught a glimpse of the manila envelope lying on the countertop. With a deep breath, I closed the door behind me, and locked it.
Putting it Together
Which details contribute the most to theme?
In a good story, all of the elements serve a purpose, like the building blocks a child uses to build a tower. However, some elements of a story contribute more to the development of theme than others. Some events and details exist mostly to set the scene and to move the plot along. They are important, but they don't directly support the theme. Once you feel that you understand a story's intended message, you can look back at details in the story and analyze how the writer developed the theme.
The Right Questions
When you analyze a story's theme, you look for aspects or sections of the story that are key to the development or expression of the theme, and you identify why and how these elements are important. As with most reading skills related to literature, the best way to improve your ability to analyze theme is to practice asking yourself some questions as you read. Look through this tab set to see what questions help you analyze a story's theme.
What questions help you uncover the theme of a story?
What is the main character's situation?
The Conflict
The theme of "The Force of Fury" is closely related to the conflict between Lainey's dreams of a better life and her loyalty to her family: She has to choose between her own comfort and security and the survival of what's left of her family.
What happens to complicate the main character's situation?
Character Choices
Read the passage below.
Lainey has to make a split-second decision. How might her choice be related to the story's theme?
What does the main character learn from the central conflict and its outcome?
Conclusion
Lainey's mother gets bitten by the beast, taking away any chance of her leaving the country with Lainey. "The Force of Fury" ends with this paragraph:
What choice has Lainey made? What theme might this choice support?
Next you will read a short story titled "The Gift of the Magi," by O. Henry, an author known for plot twists that are meant to teach a lesson about life. O. Henry's story includes some words that were used much more often when he was alive and writing than they are now. Since you may not be familiar with the words listed below--or even recognize them--spend some time now getting to know them.
Grow Your Vocabulary
What words will you need to know later in this lesson?
Vocabulary Words
O. Henry's story, "The Gift of the Magi," is a very popular short story that most American students are asked to read at some point during high school. O. Henry is famous for stories with plot twists that, in the end, suddenly make a great deal of sense. Watch this introduction to the story to learn some other characteristics of O. Henry's writing. In the Christian New Testament, the Magi were three wise and wealthy kings who traveled a long way to bring gifts to the infant Jesus. As you read or listen to the first two paragraphs of "The Gift of the Magi," remember the original meaning of the phrase that O. Henry has selected as a title. What conflict does the character Della face, and how might this conflict relate to the theme of the story? *Watch video in Textbook
Use What You Know
Use your new analytical skills to explore the meaning of "The Gift of the Magi."
Use What You Know
Use your new analytical skills to explore the meaning of "The Gift of the Magi."
In your Own Words
Can you explain the theme or underlying message of this story?
Suppose you had only pennies to spare and you had saved up every one, as Della has, to buy someone a Christmas present. What would you have to feel for that person to work so hard at saving? What else might you give up to try to make that person happy? To find out what Della was willing to do--and what her husband also was willing to do--read the rest of "The Gift of the Magi." Then use the questions beside the story to guide you in analyzing the story's theme.
“The Gift of the Magi”
Assess Yourself
Assess Yourself
Take your Analyzing Theme Quiz