A young book reader.
When you write a book report, you usually have to talk about the book's theme. A book's theme is the main idea of the story. Here is how to find it.

Theme Vs. Plot, Moral And Subject

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 should learn at the end of the plot.

The subject is the story's general topic. For example, one topic could be marriage in France 200 years ago. A theme is the author's opinion on the subject. For example, the author might say that the rules around marriage in France at the time were too strict.

You can find a story's theme by looking at the plot. A good example is "The Three Little Pigs." The story is about three pigs and a wolf who tries to eat them. The first pig is lazy and built his house out of straw. The second little pig is lazy, too, and built his house out of sticks. The wolf destroys both their homes. He chases them to the third pig's house, but the third pig is a hard worker who made his house out of brick. This house protects all three pigs from the wolf. In this case, the theme is about hard work and smart choices.

In "The Three Little Pigs," the third pig builds a house of bricks.
When you finish reading a story, try to describe it in one word. In the case of "The Three Little Pigs," this word could be preparation. Use that word in a complete thought, like: "Making smart choices takes planning and preparation."

Symbolism And Theme

Sometimes a character or an object in a story is a symbol. That symbol might hint at a theme. One good example is the novel "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn." It is about an immigrant family living 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. The tree is part of both the plot and the theme. It survives in harsh surroundings. It reminds us of the main character, Francine. She also has to live and grow up in a tough environment.

The tree is chopped down years later. But part of the tree survives. It is a symbol of Francine's immigrant community and the theme of surviving 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 less often.

Read And Analyze The Work

Here are some steps you can follow to start analyzing a story. First, read the story carefully. Understand the plot and how characters are presented. Think about the story's main subjects. For example, some subjects might be growing up, beauty, heartbreak or corruption.

Think about how the author might view these subjects. Once you're done, you're ready to find the themes of the story.

How To Identify Themes In Literature

Write down the main literary elements. Literary elements include the plot, how the characters are presented, where the story is set, the language style and so on. What were the conflicts in the story? What was the most important moment? Does the author resolve the conflict? How did the story end?

Ask yourself who is the 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 know the main theme of your story, you are almost ready to write a book report. First, read the text again. Look for examples of what the theme of the book is. All you need are a few short sentences for each example.

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