★ CLICK HERE to see the five characteristics of a good thematic statement.
THEME: THE MAIN MESSAGE/IDEA CONVEYED BY AN AUTHOR IN A STORY.
THEMATIC STATEMENT: ONE COMPLETE SENTENCE THAT EXPRESSES THAT MESSAGE. This thematic statement can become the thesis, or main claim, of your essay.
A GOOD THEMATIC STATEMENT SHOULD CONTAIN THE FOLLOWING 5 CHARACTERISTICS:
- BE EXPRESSED AS ONE SINGLE SENTENCE
- PRESENT ONE SINGLE MESSAGE/IDEA (try to avoid the use of "and" as it may present your message has twofold, not single)
- PRESENT A MESSAGE THAT IS UNIVERSAL; that is, it should NOT refer to the characters or specific events in the story; most people, or at least many people, should be able to relate to this message.
- PRESENT A SPECIFIC, THOUGHTFUL & INTERESTING MESSAGE; avoid vague and general ideas that can relate to a high number of stories; you need to find the one universal message conveyed by this one specific story.
- REFER TO THE AUTHOR (his name) & THE TITLE OF THE STORY; this reveals the origin of the message.
IMPORTANT TIPS:
- To find the thematic message of a story, you may first begin by identifying a single-word TOPIC that is being presented and explored, like 'family,' 'technology,' 'friendship,' 'racism,' or 'equality.'
- Then, you need to ask yourself: what does the author have to say about this topic? Why did he write a story about equality, for example? What message does he want his readers to learn?
- You may also consider what the main character learns in the story. Often, the main character's transformation reveals how the author wishes to transform his readers. The revelation, the one new piece of information that transforms the protagonist's view, is often the message you are looking for.
EXAMPLE OF A VERY GOOD THEMATIC STATEMENT:
In the short story "Harrison Bergeron," Kurt Vonnegut suggests that total equality is not an ideal worth striving for, as it can limit individual freedom.
* Note that this thematic statement is universal (it does not refer to characters or events in the story) and specific/interesting (it is not too general or vague).
IMPORTANT:
- Do not write: "the author proves that...." A story does not prove anything. It is not a scientific experiment. A story suggests/presents/brings to our attention a set of ideas.
- You do NOT have to agree with the author's message.
MOST IMPORTANTLY:
- A story always contains multiple possible themes. What you need is a theme that brings together many details from the story. Writing an essay will be easier if your theme relates to, let's say.... 70% of the story.
- If you want your thematic statement to relate to most of the story, make sure that it relates to the two sides of the main conflict faced by the character.
