PISMP Sem.

3 LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE Theme

Week 14

English for Undergraduates

A theme is a broad idea, message, or lesson conveyed by a written text. This message is usually about life, society, or human nature. Themes often explore timeless and universal ideas. Most themes are implied rather than explicitly stated the writer actually states what hes getting at or implicitly where the writer will suggest an idea by the behavior or actions of a character. The theme is different from the superficial outlay of the text; it is normally the meaning of the text on a more abstract level. Themes are often interpreted in diverse ways by different people or critics, regardless of whether or not the theme discussed was the original intent of the author. The same story can also be given very different themes in the hands of different authors. Theme is the dominant idea that a writer is trying to convey to his readers in a work of literature. Task 1: Below is a list of some common themes that can be found in a literature text. What do you think are the big ideas underlying The Happy Prince or The Nightingale and the Rose? Love Relationships Sacrifice Nature Selflessness War Materialism Oppression Greed Hope Justice Fate Good vs. Evil Social Structure

Moral Values A moral is a message conveyed or a lesson to be learned from a story or event. The moral may be left to the hearer, reader or viewer to determine for themselves, or may be explicitly encapsulated in a maxim. The use of stock characters is a means of conveying the moral of the story by eliminating complexity of personality and so spelling out the issues arising in the interplay between the characters, enabling the writer to make clear the message. With more rounded characters, the moral may be more nuanced but no less present, and the writer may point it up in other ways. Task 2: Briefly explain what you have learnt from the short story you have read.