A young book reader.
A book's theme is what the story is about, the main idea that flows through the narrative. When you write a book report, you need to know how to find out what its themes are. Here is 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. The moral is the lesson the reader is meant to learn at the end of the plot.

The subject is the issue that acts as the foundation for a work of literature. Marriage in France in the 1800s might be the subject of a book. The theme, on the other hand, is the opinion the author expresses about the subject. For example, the author might express dissatisfaction with the strict marriage rules for middle-class people in France at the time.

A story's theme has to be understood from 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 the wolf tries to eat was lazy and built his house out of straw. The second little pig was also lazy and built his house out of sticks. The wolf destroys both of the lazy pigs' homes and chases them to the third pig's house, but 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.
When you finish reading a book, ask yourself to sum up the book in a single word. You could say preparation best represents "The Three Little Pigs." Use that word as the foundation for a complete thought, such as "Making smart choices requires planning and preparation."

Symbolism And Theme

As with other art forms, sometimes the theme of a story might not be clear. Writers sometimes use a character or an object as a symbol that hints at a theme or themes.

For example, consider the novel "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn," about an immigrant family in New York City in the early 1900s. The tree growing through the sidewalk in front of their apartment is part of both the plot and the theme. It thrives despite its harsh surroundings, much like the main character Francine as she comes of age. The tree is chopped down years later, but a small green shoot survives.

The tree serves as a symbol of Francine's immigrant community and the theme of resilience in hard times.

Major And Minor Themes

Some themes are more important than others. A major theme is an idea that the writer repeats throughout the story. A minor theme is an idea that appears in a work briefly and may or may not be connected to another minor theme.

Read And Analyze The Work

Here are some steps you can follow to start analyzing a story. First, you must read the story carefully and understand at least the basics of the plot, characterizations and other literary elements. Spend some time thinking about the story's main subjects. Common subjects include coming of age, death and mourning, racism, beauty, heartbreak and betrayal, and power and corruption. Next, consider what the author's view on these subjects might be. These views will point you toward the work's themes.

How To Identify Themes In Literature

Take a few moments to write down the main literary elements, such as plot, characterization, setting, tone, language style, etc. What were the conflicts in the work? What was the most important moment in the work? Does the author resolve the conflict? How did the work end?

Identify the subject of the work. If you were to tell a friend what the work of literature was about, how would you describe it? What would you say is the topic? Who is the protagonist and how does he or she change? How does the protagonist affect other characters?

Determine the author's view of the characters and the choices they make. What might be the author's attitude toward the resolution of the main conflict? What message might the author be sending us? This message is the theme.

Your Book Report

After you figure out the main theme of the story, you're almost ready to write your book report. But first, you'll need to re-read the text to find 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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