A young book reader. Photo from the public domain
A book's theme is the main idea that flows through a story. Whenever you write a book report, you need to know how to find out what the story's theme is. Here's how to do it.

Theme Vs. Plot, Moral And Subject

Note that a book's theme is not the same as its plot, moral or subject. The plot is the series of events that take place, while the moral is the lesson the reader should learn at the end of the plot. The subject is the main topic of a work of literature. For example, the subject of a book might be marriage in France 200 years ago. A theme is an opinion the author expresses about the subject. For example, the author might say that the rules around marriage in France at the time were too strict.

A story's theme has to be understood by details in the plot. The nursery tale "The Three Little Pigs" is a good example. The plot is about three pigs and a wolf who is trying to eat them. The first pig was lazy and built his house out of straw. The second little pig was lazy, too, and built his house out of sticks. The wolf destroys both their homes and chases them to the third pig's house. The third pig was a hard worker who made his home out of brick, which protects all three pigs from the wolf. The pigs and the reader learn that only hard work and preparation will lead to success. In this case, the theme is about hard work and making smart choices.

In "The Three Little Pigs," the third pig builds a house of bricks. Image from public domain
When you finish reading a story, try to describe it in one word. For "The Three Little Pigs," the best word might be preparation. Use that word in a complete thought, such as "Making smart choices takes planning and preparation."

Symbolism And Theme

Sometimes a character or an object in a story is a symbol that hints at a theme. One good example is the novel "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn." It is about an immigrant family who lived in New York City about 100 years ago. Immigrants are people who move from their country to live in another one.

In the book, a tree grows through the sidewalk in front of the family's apartment. This tree is part of both the plot and the theme. It thrives in harsh surroundings, just like the main character Francine as she grows up. The tree is chopped down years later, but a small green shoot survives. The tree is a symbol of Francine's immigrant community and the theme of strength in hard times.

Major And Minor Themes

Some themes are more important than others. A major theme is an idea that gets repeated in the story. A minor theme is an idea that shows up less often.

Read And Analyze The Work

Here are some steps you can follow to start analyzing a story. First, you have to read the story carefully. You should understand the basics of the plot, characterizations, or how the characters are presented.

Think about the story's main subjects. Some common subjects are what it's like to grow up, death and mourning, racism, beauty, heartbreak, power and corruption. Next, think about how the author might view these subjects. These views will point you to the story's themes. At this point, you are ready to find out what they are.

How To Identify Themes In Literature

Write down the main literary elements, such as plot, characterization, setting, tone, language style, etc. What were the conflicts in the story? What was the most important moment in the story? Does the author resolve the conflict? How did the story end?

Identify the subject of the story. How would you describe what the story is about? Who is the protagonist, or main character? How does he or she change? How does the protagonist affect other characters?

Figure out how the author views the characters and the choices they make. What message might the author be sending us? This message is the theme.

Your Book Report

Once you have figured out the main theme of your story you are almost ready to write a book report. First, re-read the text. Look for examples of what the theme of the book is. A few short sentences should be all you need to provide an example of a book's theme.

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