Articulating a Theme about a Short Story

“Theme” is simply defined as “a central idea.” Some scholars express the theme in terms of a central conflict -- e.g. “innocence vs. experience.” Other scholars express the theme as a “topic” -- e.g. “the horrors of war.” However, some scholars want something more complete than either of these.

According to A Handbook to Literature (7e), “in poetry, fiction, and drama [theme] is the abstract concept that is made concrete through representation in person, action, and image. No proper theme is simply a subject or an activity. Both theme and thesis imply a subject and a predicate of some kind -- not just vice in general, say, but some such proposition as ‘Vice seems more interesting than virtue but turns out to be destructive.’ ‘Human wishes’ is a topic or subject; the ‘vanity of human wishes’ is a theme” (518).

With this in mind, here are some possible statements of theme, offered by past classes about stories we have read. Sometimes, a story may suggest more than one theme. Oftentimes, readers may disagree about a theme. In any case, you may state whatever theme you wish for a story; just be sure that you can “argue” for your theme and “support” it with evidence from the story (text).

Sarah Orne Jewett’s “A White Heron”

• Rural life and unblemished nature are better than civilization.
• Change is not always good.
• Beware of strangers and strange ideas.
• Sometimes a child can be more perceptive than adults.
• Nature cannot be bought and it's too beautiful to destroy.

Mary E. Wilkins Freeman’s “A New England Nun”

• Sometimes it is best if one is alone.
• Sometimes it is better to give up a promise than to keep it.

Ambrose Bierce’s “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”

• The human imagination can often mislead the rational intellect.
• The human imagination ultimately fails to overcome the external reality.
• Romantic hopes and dreams are often destroyed by reality.
• Foolishness clouds our vision.
• Over-zealousness clouds our vision.
• The structure represents no hope, sympathy, hope, tragedy.
• Bierce is making fun of Romantic writers.
• One cannot escape reality.
• "Whatever we dream of, life is entrapment by death, and time is running out."  (Bierce)

Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

• One can never completely escape civilization and conformity.
• One can never be completely free.
• The river = life.
• Freedom is a privilege. Sometimes you have it and sometimes you don't. Enjoy it. Don't take it for granted.

William Dean Howells’ “Editha”

• Don’t force someone to do something they don’t want to do -- it may backfire.
• If you are a romantic, you don’t understand the real.
• People who are romantics or live in the ideal cannot deal with the realities of life.
• War is pointless / senseless.
• One mind often bends to another to avoid conflict.
• Criticism of a Romantic character.
• People will do strange things for love.
• War is not glorious; it is senseless.
• Selfishness never wins in the end.
• Peer pressure can be life-changing.

Charlotte Perkins Gilman's "The Yellow Wall-Paper"

• The house represents marriage and brings on the insanity. It's haunted.
• The wall-paper is a symbol of married womanhood. She's trapped behind decoration.
• The setting is actually an institution.

Kate Chopin's The Awakening

• The sea gives Edna independence and freedom, both at the beginning and at the end. It gives her herself and then takes her life.
• The only thing Edna controls is her suicide decision.
• Edna's swimming forces her to do it by herself and be by herself; it causes her awakening.
• The sea is rebirth / Nature = very powerful.
• The sea is freedom, comfort, and solitude.

Henry James' Daisy Miller

• Daisy flirts with Winterbourne because that is the only way she knows how to show her love.
• Winterbourne cannot understand why Daisy does what she does.
• They both lack knowledge of the customs of the other one.
• Love will only work if you understand each other and the customs of the place.