THEME Michelle BatistaMaggi BillingsleyCorrie BradleyKayla Carmical

WHAT IS THEME?“As a literary device, theme is the central topic or idea explored in a text. Usually the theme of a work of literature can be stated in one word, such as “love” or “solitude.” A work of literature can, and often does, have more than one theme. The theme is generally not stated explicitly in the text, but instead is expressed through the characters’ actions, words, and thoughts.”

http://www.literarydevices.com/theme/

SIMPLY PUT: THEME IS THE MORAL OF THE STORYThemes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in literature. Ask yourself, “What lesson did I learn from reading this story?” There can be one or more themes in a work for literature. Look for theme in a character’s thoughts and actions, as well as the consequences of their actions.

CLASSIC EXAMPLES OF THEME Love Conquers All (Beauty and the Beast) Civilization vs. Savagery (Lord of the Flies) Abuse of Power (Animal Farm) Crime Doesn’t Pay (Scarface) Good vs. Evil (Harry Potter) The Horrors of War (All Quiet on the Western Front) Coming of Age (The Catcher in the Rye)

THE LOTTERY Shirley Jackson

“THE LOTTERY” The town in Shirley Jackson’s classic short story has an annual tradition called “The Lottery.” They have carried out this tradition for longer than anyone in the town can remember. Each year, every person in town gathers in the square and draw slips of paper from a black, weathered box. There is one slip with a black spot, and the person who draws it is stoned to death by their fellow townsfolk. It is implied that this is done to insure a good supply of crops each year.

THE SCAPEGOAT The idea of a scapegoat is not a new concept. In ancient times, it was used as a way to get rid of the collective sins of a community by symbolically putting these sins into a goat and pushing said goat off of a cliff.

In “The Lottery”, it can be interpreted that the town is putting all the bad from everyone into Tessie and that by getting rid of her they are getting rid of the town’s sins as well.

MORE ON THEME IN “THE LOTTERY”Mob Mentality Leads to Disaster In this story, we see quite clearly how cruel people can be when following others without thinking for themselves. Everyone in the town participates in the lottery, even though they know it will lead to someone’s death. To follow blindly in anything is a disaster waiting to happen.

Inevitable Mortality and Living Life to the Fullest When you know your time is limited, you tend to live life more freely. In this story, the lottery happens each year like clockwork. The townsfolk know each year could be their last. This could be taken as a message to the reader that you should do more with your life while you are still alive to do so.

THE ONES WHO WALK AWAY FROM OMELAS Ursula Le Guin

“THE ONES WHO WALK AWAY FROM OMELAS” Omelas is a utopian city in which a deal has been with an unknown entity for the happiness of the city. In order to insure the city’s happiness, a child is kept locked up in a basement and deprived of all kindness. The happiness of one child is sacrificed for the happiness of the whole city.

MORE ON THEME IN “THE ONES WHO WALK AWAY FROM OMELAS” Sacrificing the Needs of One for Many The story of Omelas warns that nothing is perfect and if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. When you look at the city in the beginning of the story, it seems like a place that you would be crazy not to want to live in. Why would anybody ever want to walk away from Omelas?

The evil that is being cast into the child is what makes the town flourish. Showing, that like yin and yang, there must be some evil for all the good.

The town new the child was miserable and living in agony, but they did nothing. This also asserts how cruel and selfish human beings can be.

WORKS CITED Beauty and the Beast. Dir. Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale. 1994. DVD.

Golding, William. Lord of the Flies. New York: Coward-McCann, 1962. Print.

Orwell, George. Animal Farm. 1945. Print. Scarface. Dir. Brian De Palma. Perf. Al Pacino. Universal Studios, 1983. DVD.

Jackson, Shirley. The Lottery. Mankato, Minn.: Creative Education, 1983. Print. Le Guin, Ursula K. The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas. Mankato, Minn.: Creative Education, 1993. Print.

END