Theme & ToneRida, Rosie, and Annika

Theme● A main idea or an underlying meaning of a

literary work that may be stated directly or indirectly

● Conveyed through the narration and tone of the piece

● Literary works can have multiple themes, minor and major

● Idea never stated outright o suggested by characters, narration, and

tone

Difference between a Theme and a Subject● Subject is a topic which a literary work is

generally about, while a theme is an opinion expressed on the subject.

● Ex) A writer may choose a subject of war for their story, while the theme of the story may be the writer’s personal opinion that war is a curse for humanity.

Examples of Themes● In a battle between love and hate, love

will always be victorious. : Romeo and Juliet

● War is unjustifiable and senseless: “The Man He Killed”

Tone● The attitude the speaker expresses towards his

or her subject and audience ● Expressed by an adjective (ex. sarcastic, sad,

cynical, etc.)● Purpose of tone: decides how the reader should

feel while they’re reading the pieceo gives voice to the characters o allows the reader to better understand the

character

Examples“Son, you are not allowed to go on the trip.”- “Great, thanks a lot” (sarcastic)- “Okay, I understand” (calm, understanding) “I got a bad grade on my math test”- “I’m sure you can make it up, you tried!”

(optimistic)- “That is unacceptable” (harsh, formal)