Topic: An idea or subject that occurs in the text - like a 2D square
Theme: a particular assertion(claim) about that topic - like a 3D cube - You always need evidence
Thematic Myths Truth
There is only one singular theme in a text There are many themes of varying
importance
A theme is a lesson Complex texts develop more complex
themes
A theme can only be one word long That’s a topic
Charlie Brown Christmas-Theme asks what about ________
Topics- Love, Friendship, Underdogs, Childhood, Christmas
Theme- Spending time with friends and family is more important than spending money
The movie Diehard has a similar topic of Christmas but the theme is trying to tell us that Christmas is the most dangerous time of the year
Topics present in No Country For Old Men
Concrete Topic- Money, Weapons, Drugs, Family members, the Desert, Vehicles
Abstract Topic- Safety, Violence, Determination, Good vs. Evil, Insanity, Greed, Obsessive, Vulnerability, Justice
If you can't hold it or have it physically it is not concrete-If it isn't tangible.
Themes-
Topic of Good vs Evil- Good doesn’t always win
Topic of Money- Money isn't always worth the cost it takes to get
Topic of Money- People go to great lengths to get money
Topic of the Desert- The desert is a harsh unforgiving environment
Topic of Drugs- Drugs lead to violence, irresponsibility and emotional distress
Topic of Weapons/Money- Money is the biggest killer
Topic of Fate- Everything we experienced in our past leads to where we are now
While this includes a great deal of information that may be helpful for students, it's lacking a certain refinement that separates a blog post from class notes. Your notes are personal (individually so, even), but your blog posts are public. Consider how this can be shared with audience in mind. The opening sentence or two seems to pay some acknowledgement of a reader, but the rest feels copied/pasted from notes. You MAY pull in sections from notes, but think about how your interstitial writing can help us (the audience) feel included. Also missing an extension (the second half of the assignment) to the outside world. How can you apply this excellent thematic skill you're developing to something happening beyond our classroom?
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