Literature Circle Theme Analysis and Reflection

Can you determine the theme of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its
relationship to the characters, setting, and plot?

PART A: Determining a Theme

Step One: List several topics addressed in your novel. Topics are typically one-word or two-word ideas that are often
confused with themes. Examples of topics include: friendship, love, immortality, family, perseverance, racism,
individuality, etc.

Step Two: Choose 3 of these topics and decide what the author of your novel believes about the topic or the message
that he/she is trying to send about the topic. Then, write a statement declaring what the author believes about the
topic.
Example
Topic: family Statement: The author believes family is the most important thing in life.

Topic: Statement:

Topic: Statement:

Topic: Statement:

Step Three: Choose one of the above statements that you believe is the most important or central message of the novel,
and remove The author believes. The sentence left over is the theme. You will use this theme for PARTS B, C, and D.
Example: Family is the most important thing in life.
Theme:
PART B: Break It Down

The themes relationship to the setting The themes relationship to the characters

The themes relationship to the plot:

How the theme develops through the book: Find five direct quotes from the book that support your theme sentence.
Quote Pg. #(s)
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6. (optional)

7. (optional)

PART C: Theme Connections

Name another book, movie, or song in which you see the same (or similar) theme, and then write a short paragraph
comparing and contrasting how you see that theme displayed in both the class novel and you similar song, book, movie,
or song. Use this Venn diagram to organizer your thoughts, and then write your paragraph on the lines provided.
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PART D: Visual Representation of Theme

Choose one option from below

Theme Collage
On a blank sheet of paper, create a theme poster illustrating in detail how the theme you
have chosen develops through the characters, setting, and plot of your novel. Please put your
name, class period, and novel title on the back of your poster. You can use images, direct
quotes, drawings, etc.

Theme Found Poem

On a blank sheet of paper, create a theme found poem using the lines of text from your story.
You have found at least 5 phrases from the text to support this theme. Once you have found all
of your phrases, you will need to reorganize them into a poem that demonstrates the theme
from the novel. Your theme topic sentence is your title. Each phrase is an individual line. The
final draft should be written on a separate piece of paper with construction paper as the
background. You may choose to decorate your found poem with artifacts that represent the
topic and/or theme statement.