THOUGHTFUL, THOROUGH THEME STATEMENT FORMULA:
1. When <define the protagonist>
2. comes in conflict with/encounters <define the antagonists/antagonistic forces>
3. in a situation in which <define the relevant circumstances/conditions/setting>
4. the result may be <explain/define the outcomes, ending points, epiphanies, dynamic changes in character, resolutions, conclusions>
REMEMBER!
1. Themes are generalizations about life - NO names of the characters or specific places!
2. Don’t make generalizations that are ‘larger’ than the scope of the story:
· Use some, sometimes, may rather than every, all, always.
3. A theme is LIMITED or INCORRECT if it:
· ignores an important incident or character;
· contradicts or misinterprets any detail of the story;
· relies on supposed or assumed facts—those that are not actually stated or clearly implied by the story
4. There is no one way of stating the theme of a story.
5. Avoid statements that reduce the theme to a cliché, such as “Don’t judge a book by its cover”.
______
14) When a female slave falls in love with a White man, during a time period where interracial marrying is prohibited, she runs away in search for a better life
THOUGHTFUL, THOROUGH THEME STATEMENT FORMULA:
1. When <define the protagonist>
2. comes in conflict with/encounters <define the antagonists/antagonistic forces>
3. in a situation in which <define the relevant circumstances/conditions/setting>
4. the result may be <explain/define the outcomes, ending points, epiphanies, dynamic changes in character, resolutions, conclusions>
REMEMBER!
1. Themes are generalizations about life - NO names of the characters or specific places!
2. Don’t make generalizations that are ‘larger’ than the scope of the story:
· Use some, sometimes, may rather than every, all, always.
3. A theme is LIMITED or INCORRECT if it:
· ignores an important incident or character;
· contradicts or misinterprets any detail of the story;
· relies on supposed or assumed facts—those that are not actually stated or clearly implied by the story
4. There is no one way of stating the theme of a story.
5. Avoid statements that reduce the theme to a cliché, such as “Don’t judge a book by its cover”.
______
12) When a loving and caring mother comes into conflict with societies expectations when she gives birth to a baby with a darker skin tone because of her husband's family background, the result may be that one must find love into something or someone to find its true meaning or purpose.
THOUGHTFUL, THOROUGH THEME STATEMENT FORMULA:
1. When <define the protagonist>
2. comes in conflict with/encounters <define the antagonists/antagonistic forces>
3. in a situation in which <define the relevant circumstances/conditions/setting>
4. the result may be <explain/define the outcomes, ending points, epiphanies, dynamic changes in character, resolutions, conclusions>
REMEMBER!
1. Themes are generalizations about life - NO names of the characters or specific places!
2. Don’t make generalizations that are ‘larger’ than the scope of the story:
· Use some, sometimes, may rather than every, all, always.
3. A theme is LIMITED or INCORRECT if it:
· ignores an important incident or character;
· contradicts or misinterprets any detail of the story;
· relies on supposed or assumed facts—those that are not actually stated or clearly implied by the story
4. There is no one way of stating the theme of a story.
5. Avoid statements that reduce the theme to a cliché, such as “Don’t judge a book by its cover”.
______
3) When an innocent dark skinned boy is born to a white family during a time of racial bias and separation, conflict rises between the couple and their authenticity of being pure white is questioned along with their morals.
THOUGHTFUL, THOROUGH THEME STATEMENT FORMULA:
1. When <define the protagonist>
2. comes in conflict with/encounters <define the antagonists/antagonistic forces>
3. in a situation in which <define the relevant circumstances/conditions/setting>
4. the result may be <explain/define the outcomes, ending points, epiphanies, dynamic changes in character, resolutions, conclusions>
REMEMBER!
1. Themes are generalizations about life - NO names of the characters or specific places!
2. Don’t make generalizations that are ‘larger’ than the scope of the story:
· Use some, sometimes, may rather than every, all, always.
3. A theme is LIMITED or INCORRECT if it:
· ignores an important incident or character;
· contradicts or misinterprets any detail of the story;
· relies on supposed or assumed facts—those that are not actually stated or clearly implied by the story
4. There is no one way of stating the theme of a story.
5. Avoid statements that reduce the theme to a cliché, such as “Don’t judge a book by its cover”.
______
13) When young, beautiful fair skinned women comes in conflict with society, in a situation in which she gives birth the a baby of darker skin because of her well know plantation owning husband's family background the results maybe that you are forced to love something that you hate the most in order to see where one's views are at fault.
THOUGHTFUL, THOROUGH THEME STATEMENT FORMULA:
1. When <define the protagonist>
2. comes in conflict with/encounters <define the antagonists/antagonistic forces>
3. in a situation in which <define the relevant circumstances/conditions/setting>
4. the result may be <explain/define the outcomes, ending points, epiphanies, dynamic changes in character, resolutions, conclusions>
REMEMBER!
1. Themes are generalizations about life - NO names of the characters or specific places!
2. Don’t make generalizations that are ‘larger’ than the scope of the story:
· Use some, sometimes, may rather than every, all, always.
3. A theme is LIMITED or INCORRECT if it:
· ignores an important incident or character;
· contradicts or misinterprets any detail of the story;
· relies on supposed or assumed facts—those that are not actually stated or clearly implied by the story
4. There is no one way of stating the theme of a story.
5. Avoid statements that reduce the theme to a cliché, such as “Don’t judge a book by its cover”.
______
7) When young and innocent white women encounter their overbearing, selfish and judgmental husbands in the sad and cruel era of southern American slavery, the results may be that people are too harshly judged without even given the benefit of the doubt.
THOUGHTFUL, THOROUGH THEME STATEMENT FORMULA:
1. When <define the protagonist>
2. comes in conflict with/encounters <define the antagonists/antagonistic forces>
3. in a situation in which <define the relevant circumstances/conditions/setting>
4. the result may be <explain/define the outcomes, ending points, epiphanies, dynamic changes in character, resolutions, conclusions>
REMEMBER!
1. Themes are generalizations about life - NO names of the characters or specific places!
2. Don’t make generalizations that are ‘larger’ than the scope of the story:
· Use some, sometimes, may rather than every, all, always.
3. A theme is LIMITED or INCORRECT if it:
· ignores an important incident or character;
· contradicts or misinterprets any detail of the story;
· relies on supposed or assumed facts—those that are not actually stated or clearly implied by the story
4. There is no one way of stating the theme of a story.
5. Avoid statements that reduce the theme to a cliché, such as “Don’t judge a book by its cover”.
______
11) When an overly devoted wife by the name of Desiree has a handsome baby boy, she comes in conflict with her husband because the baby is a different skin tone. Her husband makes a comment stating that she was not white and neither was baby. Desiree immediately calls her mother to tell her what happened, and her mother tells her to go back to L'Abri. Two weeks later after her trip, she writes a letter stating how she loves her son, but he was "cursed with the brand of slavery." The result may be that Desiree's son is not white, but in fact mixed with black, which engages her husband.
THOUGHTFUL, THOROUGH THEME STATEMENT FORMULA:
1. When <define the protagonist>
2. comes in conflict with/encounters <define the antagonists/antagonistic forces>
3. in a situation in which <define the relevant circumstances/conditions/setting>
4. the result may be <explain/define the outcomes, ending points, epiphanies, dynamic changes in character, resolutions, conclusions>
REMEMBER!
1. Themes are generalizations about life - NO names of the characters or specific places!
2. Don’t make generalizations that are ‘larger’ than the scope of the story:
· Use some, sometimes, may rather than every, all, always.
3. A theme is LIMITED or INCORRECT if it:
· ignores an important incident or character;
· contradicts or misinterprets any detail of the story;
· relies on supposed or assumed facts—those that are not actually stated or clearly implied by the story
4. There is no one way of stating the theme of a story.
5. Avoid statements that reduce the theme to a cliché, such as “Don’t judge a book by its cover”.
______
1) When encountering a white man that is unfamiliar with his origin of life during the period of slavery, you have to be careful. When having a conflict with a white based on the color of skin, you have to come to the sense that they hate colored skin. Therefore, the result is that what you don't know can hurt you in the long run.
THOUGHTFUL, THOROUGH THEME STATEMENT FORMULA:
1. When <define the protagonist>
2. comes in conflict with/encounters <define the antagonists/antagonistic forces>
3. in a situation in which <define the relevant circumstances/conditions/setting>
4. the result may be <explain/define the outcomes, ending points, epiphanies, dynamic changes in character, resolutions, conclusions>
REMEMBER!
1. Themes are generalizations about life - NO names of the characters or specific places!
2. Don’t make generalizations that are ‘larger’ than the scope of the story:
· Use some, sometimes, may rather than every, all, always.
3. A theme is LIMITED or INCORRECT if it:
· ignores an important incident or character;
· contradicts or misinterprets any detail of the story;
· relies on supposed or assumed facts—those that are not actually stated or clearly implied by the story
4. There is no one way of stating the theme of a story.
5. Avoid statements that reduce the theme to a cliché, such as “Don’t judge a book by its cover”.
______
9) When Desiree, a free white women, is questioned about how race by her husband who is indeed a slave owner, she decides to leave him, then he is exposed to the same question about his race, and the answer is not pretty.
THOUGHTFUL, THOROUGH THEME STATEMENT FORMULA:
1. When <define the protagonist>
2. comes in conflict with/encounters <define the antagonists/antagonistic forces>
3. in a situation in which <define the relevant circumstances/conditions/setting>
4. the result may be <explain/define the outcomes, ending points, epiphanies, dynamic changes in character, resolutions, conclusions>
REMEMBER!
1. Themes are generalizations about life - NO names of the characters or specific places!
2. Don’t make generalizations that are ‘larger’ than the scope of the story:
· Use some, sometimes, may rather than every, all, always.
3. A theme is LIMITED or INCORRECT if it:
· ignores an important incident or character;
· contradicts or misinterprets any detail of the story;
· relies on supposed or assumed facts—those that are not actually stated or clearly implied by the story
4. There is no one way of stating the theme of a story.
5. Avoid statements that reduce the theme to a cliché, such as “Don’t judge a book by its cover”.
______
2) When a woman who is born into slavery decides to marry out of her color she has to be ready to leave knowing that her husband cannot be with her because of color. She has to be able to take that extra step even if she does not know that his mother also was born with color.
THOUGHTFUL, THOROUGH THEME STATEMENT FORMULA:
1. When <define the protagonist>
2. comes in conflict with/encounters <define the antagonists/antagonistic forces>
3. in a situation in which <define the relevant circumstances/conditions/setting>
4. the result may be <explain/define the outcomes, ending points, epiphanies, dynamic changes in character, resolutions, conclusions>
REMEMBER!
1. Themes are generalizations about life - NO names of the characters or specific places!
2. Don’t make generalizations that are ‘larger’ than the scope of the story:
· Use some, sometimes, may rather than every, all, always.
3. A theme is LIMITED or INCORRECT if it:
· ignores an important incident or character;
· contradicts or misinterprets any detail of the story;
· relies on supposed or assumed facts—those that are not actually stated or clearly implied by the story
4. There is no one way of stating the theme of a story.
5. Avoid statements that reduce the theme to a cliché, such as “Don’t judge a book by its cover”.
______
4) When a white, racist, slave owner has to come to reality that his own child is dark skinned meaning he comes from African American decent, the result may be a loving family torn apart by hatred of black people.
THOUGHTFUL, THOROUGH THEME STATEMENT FORMULA:
1. When <define the protagonist>
2. comes in conflict with/encounters <define the antagonists/antagonistic forces>
3. in a situation in which <define the relevant circumstances/conditions/setting>
4. the result may be <explain/define the outcomes, ending points, epiphanies, dynamic changes in character, resolutions, conclusions>
REMEMBER!
1. Themes are generalizations about life - NO names of the characters or specific places!
2. Don’t make generalizations that are ‘larger’ than the scope of the story:
· Use some, sometimes, may rather than every, all, always.
3. A theme is LIMITED or INCORRECT if it:
· ignores an important incident or character;
· contradicts or misinterprets any detail of the story;
· relies on supposed or assumed facts—those that are not actually stated or clearly implied by the story
4. There is no one way of stating the theme of a story.
5. Avoid statements that reduce the theme to a cliché, such as “Don’t judge a book by its cover”.
______
8) When a woman who feels like her love life has been restored comes in conflict with the racial identity of her child during a time when a certain race was being treated poorly by society the result may be that she runs away hoping to find a better life for her and her child.