Questions to Ask About Theme
For a teacher, tutor or parent sitting with a student who has to work out the theme of a story, novel, poem or film. The questions run in the order the conversation goes: naming the topic, watching what the character learns, reading the author's choices (what keeps coming back, the title, the setting, the ending), turning the topic into a one-sentence theme, backing it with the text, then testing it against other readings and other stories. Each has a note on what a good answer sounds like at different ages, what a shaky one sounds like and what to ask next.
Want questions from the whole vault instead? Try the random question generator.
The questions
Each question, and why to ask it
Topic
Can you tell me what happens in two or three sentences?
Why ask it
Ask this before any talk of meaning, since a student who cannot retell the story cannot find its theme yet. Listen to what survives the squeeze: the events kept in a short retelling tend to be the ones the theme hangs on. If it runs to ten sentences, ask for the beginning, the turn and the end.
What is this story about, in one word?
Why ask it
Expect a topic such as friendship, courage or loss, and at this point a topic is all you want. Write the word down, because the rest of the conversation is spent turning it into a sentence. A character's name or an event means the student is still on the plot, so ask what that event was about.
If plot is what happens, what do you think theme is?
Why ask it
You are checking the student's working definition before you lean on it. 'The lesson' is a fair start at eight, and by middle school you are hoping for something like 'an idea about life that the story shows'. If the answer is 'the main idea', separate the two now: a main idea is what this text is mostly about, and a theme would still be true outside it.
What is the biggest problem anyone faces in it?
Why ask it
The central conflict usually points at the topic: trouble with a bully leads toward power or courage, and trouble telling the truth leads toward honesty. Younger students name the problem outside the character. Ask older ones whether there is a second problem going on inside.
How did you feel at the end, and which scene did that to you?
Why ask it
For a student who freezes at the word theme, start here instead. 'Sad, because the dog had to go back to its owner' is already pointing at letting go. Take the feeling without correcting it, then get the scene, because the scene is what you will build on.
What other single words could sit beside your first one?
Why ask it
Three or four topics give the student something to choose from, and the second or third word is often nearer the mark than the first. An older student may land on two that pull against each other, such as loyalty and honesty, and the theme is usually found where they collide.
Which of those topic words matters most to the main character?
Why ask it
This narrows the list by using the person the story follows. A weak pick sounds like 'friendship, because she has friends'. A stronger one names what the character stood to lose or gain, so follow up with 'what did it cost her?'
Is your topic something that exists only in this story, or something people deal with everywhere?
Why ask it
'Dragons' and 'the summer camp' belong to the story, while 'fear' and 'fitting in' reach beyond it, and only the second kind can grow into a theme. When you get a story-bound word, ask what the dragon or the camp stands in for in the character's life.
Character
What does the main character want at the start?
Why ask it
A good answer gives the want and a reason, such as 'he wants to win so his dad will notice him'. Hold on to it, because the distance between what the character wanted and what they ended up with is where a theme tends to show. If the student says 'nothing', ask what the character would complain about on the first page.
How is the main character different at the end from how they began?
Why ask it
Ask for it in the frame 'At first..., but by the end...', which is half a theme statement already. From a six- or seven-year-old, 'he was scared and now he is brave' is the whole job done. An older student should name a change in belief and not only in circumstances: richer or safer is plot, wiser or harder is theme.
What caused the change? Can you find the moment?
Why ask it
'She got braver' is a change. 'She got braver once her brother needed her' has a view of courage inside it, which is why the cause is worth more than the change. Have the student put a finger on the page or name the scene.
What does the character learn, or fail to learn?
Why ask it
The second half is for tragedies and for stories where nobody grows, which students meet more often as the reading gets harder. When a character learns nothing, the reader is the one meant to see it. Ask what the reader understands by the end that the character still does not.
What is the hardest choice anyone makes, and what do they give up to make it?
Why ask it
Look for an answer with both halves: the choice shows what the story values, and the thing given up shows the price it puts on it. A choice that cost nothing was not the hard one, so send the student back for another.
Who comes out well in this story, and who pays?
Why ask it
If the honest character ends up alone and the liar does fine, the theme is not going to be 'honesty always pays', whatever the student hoped. A win that costs the winner something hands over the 'but' or 'even though' that a good theme statement often needs. It suits students from about eleven up, and it is a useful check on a theme that is too tidy.
Does anyone say something that sounds like advice about life?
Why ask it
A grandmother, coach or mentor often says the theme nearly outright, and younger readers can find those lines quickly. Teach an older student to be wary of them: who said it, and does the rest of the story prove that person right?
Is there a character who believes the opposite of the main character, and what becomes of them?
Why ask it
Many stories set two ways of living side by side and let the plot judge between them. The student who spots the pair can usually state the theme as a contrast: this way of living leads here, that one leads there. When nobody comes to mind, try 'who does the main character argue with most?'
If the main character could send one piece of advice back to themselves on page one, what would it be?
Why ask it
A friendly route to the lesson for a student who goes blank at 'what did they learn?' The advice will come out as an order, such as 'do not lie to your friends'. Accept it for now: the questions under The sentence turn an order into an observation.
Why do you think the author keeps bringing that back?
Why ask it
Here the student steps from noticing to meaning, and a guess is welcome. 'The locked gate keeps showing up because she is shut out of things' is a good answer. If you get 'because the author likes it', pick two places it appears and ask what the character is going through each time.
Now that you have finished, what is the title pointing at?
Why ask it
Many titles take on a second meaning by the last page, and a student who can give both the plain meaning and the later one is close to the theme. For a poem, try covering the title and asking what they would have called it.
Could this story have happened somewhere else, or at another time, and still meant the same thing?
Why ask it
'Yes, anywhere' suggests a theme about people in general. 'No, because nobody there could leave' or 'no, because girls were not allowed to then' means the place or the period is part of what the story is saying, and it belongs in the theme sentence. With a film, ask what the first shot of the place told them before anyone spoke.
Why do you think it ends where it does?
Why ask it
A story about revenge that closes on an empty house is saying something different from one that closes on a celebration. If the student only describes the ending, ask what would change if it stopped one scene sooner.
Does the last scene echo the first in any way?
Why ask it
Stories and poems often return to an opening image with something altered: the same kitchen, the same road, one chair fewer. The alteration is the change the whole text is about. 'No, they have nothing in common' is an acceptable answer, so do not force a match.
Which single moment could you not remove without the story meaning something else?
Why ask it
This is harder than naming a favorite part, and the two answers often differ. The moment the student picks is usually the climax or a quiet scene just after it. Keep hold of it, because it will be the first thing to reach for when you get to the Evidence group.
Who is telling this, and how do they seem to feel about what they are describing?
Why ask it
Regretful, amused, bitter and tender would each make a different poem out of the same subject, so the speaker's attitude counts for most where there is no plot to lean on. Nudge 'the poet is sad' toward 'the speaker sounds sad about...', and make the student finish it.
Where does the poem turn, in mood or in direction?
Why ask it
Plenty of poems pivot, often on a 'but' or 'yet' or at a stanza break, and the theme tends to sit in what follows the turn. Have the student draw a line across the page where they feel it. Two students drawing the line in different places is a discussion to have, not a mistake to fix.
When that topic came up on screen, what did the camera, the music or the color do?
Why ask it
'It rains every time he lies' is a real finding, because a film carries its theme in what is seen and heard as much as in what is said. A student with no answer can rewatch one two-minute scene with the sound off, then again with eyes shut, and say what each version told them.
The sentence
What is the story saying about that topic?
Why ask it
Everything so far leads to this one. A topic is a word and a theme is what the text says about it, so 'friendship' has to grow into something like 'a real friend tells you the truth even when it hurts'. If the student stalls, offer the frame 'The story shows that...' and then wait.
What do you think the author wants a reader to understand by the last page?
Why ask it
Theme is often asked for in this form, as the author's message, so it helps a student to hear it as the same question in other words. The risk is that it turns into guessing what was in the writer's head, which nobody can check. Bring it back to the page with 'what in the story makes you think so?'
Can you put the theme in one complete sentence?
Why ask it
One word is a topic, and a phrase like 'the power of love' is a topic wearing a costume. A sentence needs a verb and makes a claim. From a nine-year-old, 'being brave means doing it even when you are scared' is a success and needs no polishing.
Can you say it again without any character's name in it?
Why ask it
'Mia learns to trust her sister' is about one story. 'Trust is rebuilt by what people do, not what they promise' is a theme. Taking the names out is a quick test, and a child of eight or nine can often run it on their own sentence.
Is that a theme, or a summary of what happened?
Why ask it
A summary sits in the past tense and is full of events, while a theme is in the present tense and would make sense to someone who never read the book. Students of every age mix the two up. Read the student's sentence back to them and let them decide which it is.
Is that an instruction telling people what to do, or an observation about how life goes?
Why ask it
'Do not judge people by their looks' is a moral, which suits fables and younger readers well. In later grades many teachers want an observation instead, such as 'people are judged by their looks long before anyone knows them'. Wording rules differ between classes and exams, so ask what this student's teacher expects.
Would your sentence fit a hundred other stories just as well?
Why ask it
'Love conquers all' and 'never give up' fit nearly everything, which means they say little about this text. Ask what this story adds: never give up even when what, or at what price. The clause the student bolts on is their own thinking, and it is usually the best part.
Is it true of the whole story, or only one part of it?
Why ask it
A theme drawn from the opening chapters can be undone by the ending. Check it against the last scene. If it holds for one character's thread and no further, call it a minor theme and keep it, since a longer work has room for several.
Could a thoughtful person disagree with what you have written?
Why ask it
Nobody takes the other side of 'war is bad', but 'war damages the people who win it too' gives a reader something to weigh. That is the test for a theme that has to carry an essay. Use it with high school students heading toward a thesis, and leave it out below that.
What is the difference between the topic word you started with and the sentence you have now?
Why ask it
You are asking for topic versus theme in the student's own words, with their own example in front of them. Something like 'the topic is what it is about and the theme is what it says about that' means the distinction will survive to the next text. It lands better here than at the start, when it would only be a definition.
Evidence
Where in the text do you see that? Show me the place.
Why ask it
One scene pointed to is enough from a seven-year-old. An older student should find support near the beginning, in the middle and at the end, and if it all comes from one spot the theme may be too narrow. A student who cannot find any place at all has a hunch and not yet a theme, so go back to the sentence.
Which two or three moments make your case best?
Why ask it
The strongest piece is usually a choice or a consequence, not a line of description. Have the student rank them and defend the top one, and expect the order to change as they talk. In an essay these become the body paragraphs.
Where does that idea first show up, and how has it changed by the end?
Why ask it
This one is for older students, who are often asked to trace how a theme develops and not only to name it. A good answer has a direction: hinted at in the first chapter, tested in the middle, paid for at the end. Three scenes with no change between them are examples, and the development is still to find.
Is there a line you could quote, and which word in it does the work?
Why ask it
Short is better: a clause the student can talk about beats a paragraph they copy out. Asking for the one working word stops the quotation being decoration. A line where a character announces the theme is weaker support than a line where it happens, and it is worth saying so.
How does that moment show the theme? Finish this: 'This shows that... because...'
Why ask it
Students tend to drop a quotation and move on as though it explained itself. The 'because' is the reasoning, and it is the part that most easily goes missing on paper. If the because only repeats the quotation, ask what the character could have done instead and why it matters that they did not.
Is there anything in the story that does not fit your theme?
Why ask it
A student who finds a misfit and adjusts the sentence is doing real analysis. Do not let them throw the theme away at the first awkward scene. Swapping 'always' for 'often', or adding 'but', 'unless' or 'for some people', usually repairs it and makes it more exact.
Did the author come out and say it, or did you have to work it out?
Why ask it
Fables tend to state the moral in the last line, and most novels, poems and films leave it implied. If it was stated, ask whether the story backs the statement up. If it was implied, ask which clue did the most to get the student there.
Wider view
Is there a second theme running alongside the first?
Why ask it
Most novels and films carry several, and a student who has been told there is one right theme stops looking after the first. A short poem or a fable may truly have only one. Ask which subplot or minor character the second theme travels with.
Could another reader find a different theme and also be right?
Why ask it
Yes, as long as each can support it from the text, and that is a relief to a student who thinks the theme is an answer the teacher is hiding. There is a limit worth stating too. A reading that the text contradicts is not simply another opinion.
What else have you read or watched on the same topic, and does it say the same thing?
Why ask it
Two stories about a lost pet or two films about revenge will share a topic and often part ways on the theme, which makes the difference between the two terms plain. Comparing texts is also a common written task in the upper grades. Courses set it up differently, so ask to see how this student's assignment is worded.
Do you think the story is right?
Why ask it
Held until late on purpose, so the student's opinion does not stand in for the text's. Disagreeing with a theme is allowed, and you cannot disagree with one you have not understood. On paper, keep them in separate sentences: what the story says, then what I think.
Where have you seen this theme play out in real life?
Why ask it
A theme is a claim about life, so it ought to turn up outside the book. A young child's 'like when I would not share and then nobody played with me' shows more understanding than a recited definition would. Keep it optional with teenagers, because some themes sit close to home.
Getting a student from a topic to a theme they can defend
Practical guidance for the conversation itself
Setting up the conversation
Topic first, theme second
A stuck student is usually stuck between the two. A topic is a word or short phrase: jealousy, growing up, home. A theme is a full sentence saying what this text shows about that topic. Get the word on paper before you ask for the sentence, and the sentence becomes a matter of finishing a thought instead of inventing one.
Retell before you interpret
Two or three sentences of what happened is the entry ticket. If the retelling has holes, reread the scene together and leave theme for later. Questions about meaning asked on top of a shaky grasp of the plot produce guesses, and the student learns that theme is guessing.
Pick a handful, not the whole list
A session on one story needs perhaps eight to twelve of these: two or three from Topic, a few from Character or Author's choices depending on the text, then The sentence and Evidence. A story driven by one person's change leans on Character. A poem or a mood piece with little plot leans on Author's choices.
Write as you go
Keep one sheet with three headings: topic words, what changed, what keeps coming back. Fill it in the student's wording, not yours. By the time you reach the sentence, the raw material is in front of them and the job is to join it up.
Wait, and do not supply the answer
The pause after 'what is the story saying about that?' is long, and it is tempting to fill it. A theme the adult supplies is one the student cannot defend in writing. Offer a sentence frame, or go back a group, before you offer a theme.
What a good answer sounds like by age
About six to eight
A lesson in the child's own words, tied to the character: 'She learned you should tell the truth.' That is a moral and still has a name in it, and it is right for this age. One piece of support, pointed at on the page, is plenty.
About nine to eleven
The sentence starts to stand free of the story: 'Telling the truth is hard, but lying makes it worse.' Expect the student to know that a topic and a theme are different things and to back the theme with two moments. Summaries posing as themes are the usual slip, so the no-names question earns its place here.
About twelve to fourteen
Look for an observation in place of an instruction, with a qualifier in it: 'People lie to protect themselves, and it tends to cost them the trust they were protecting.' Evidence should come from more than one part of the text, with a because attached to each piece. This is also when a second theme and a scene that does not fit become fair questions.
Fifteen and up
The statement becomes arguable and precise, often with a tension inside it, and the student can say how the writer builds it: a contrast between two characters, a repeated image, the choice of ending. Being able to name what does not fit, and adjust the sentence, is the mark of a strong answer.
These are rough bands
Reading level, the difficulty of the text and what a school teaches in which year all shift them. A confident ten-year-old on a picture book may answer like a teenager, and a teenager on a hard poem may need the questions for nine-year-olds. If the work is for a class or an exam, ask the teacher how a theme statement is expected to be worded and graded there.
Adjusting for poems, films and long books
A poem
There may be no character and no plot, so start with Author's choices: the speaker's attitude, repeated words and images, and the turn. Read it aloud twice before asking anything. A theme for a short poem can be modest, and 'the speaker misses a place that no longer exists' is closer to the mark than a grand statement about time.
A film
Use the Character questions as they stand, then ask what the film did with picture, sound and place. Evidence is a scene described closely: who is in the frame, what is heard, what is left unsaid. Pausing on one scene does more than recalling the whole film from memory.
A fable or picture book
The moral may be printed on the last page. Let the child find it, then ask whether the story really shows it, which is the youngest version of using evidence. Stated morals are a good place to teach that a theme has to be earned by what happens.
A novel
Do not wait for the last page. Ask the Topic questions after the first few chapters and write the words down, then come back to them at the middle and the end and see which survived. A student who has watched a topic word last through a whole book already has evidence from three places.
Where students get stuck
The one-word theme
'The theme is love.' Do not call it wrong. Say that it is the topic and half the answer, and ask what the story says about love. Many students have never had the two pulled apart for them.
The summary in disguise
'The theme is that a boy runs away and comes home.' Take out the character and the events and ask what is left. If nothing is left, go back to what the boy understood at the end that he did not at the start.
The greeting-card theme
'Follow your dreams' can be attached to almost any story with a goal in it. Ask what following the dream cost in this one, or who was hurt by it, and have the student add that to the sentence.
Hunting for the answer the teacher wants
A student who keeps watching your face is guessing, not reading. Say plainly that more than one theme can be supported, and ask for the page each time instead of saying right or wrong. The text becomes the judge, which takes the pressure off both of you.
Symbols before story
Some older students leap to what the river or the storm 'means' before they can say what the character wanted. Repeated images matter, but they point at a theme the plot and the characters have to carry. Send the student back to the change in the main character, then ask how the image fits it.