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The THEME is the underlying meaning/lesson of the story. It is often a significant statement the story/author is making about society, human nature, or the human condition.  The theme should be a lesson/moral that can be applied to anyone, anywhere; not just to the characters in the story.
A story will usually always have more than one theme; however, there are usually one or two themes that are most predominant.

Important Reminders about Theme Essays

Your theme essay should:

•    Be written in the 5 paragraph standard essay format .
•    should use the theme(s) from your novel as its main idea throughout.
•    Have an introduction and conclusion and at least 3 paragraphs which illustrate main points about the theme(s).
•    Include a thesis statement which focuses solely on a theme or themes from your book which you want to illustrate. (You can either focus on one major theme throughout the entire essay, or you can focus on a few different ones that were predominant in the book.)
•    Include quotes from the book to illustrate points (you need at least one; however, more is better.)*
•    Be typed, double-spaced, and 12 pt. font (like all essays).

We will go over an example of a theme essay in class; if you would like to obtain a copy of the example essay, you will need to borrow Ms.K’s example and make a copy.

On the back of this handout you will find the rubric from which you will be graded.  Please note that the rubric assesses the same criteria as the hero essay, except that the details apply specifically to a theme essay, rather than a hero essay.

The theme essay is DUE BY: Friday, December 21st   (If you never used your homework pass this semester, you may use your pass for this essay.  The homework pass will allow you to turn your theme essay in after winter break.)


*There are two ways to cite quotes from your book:

Example 1.)  On page 21 of Esperanza Rising, the author demonstrates Esperanza’s frustration by stating, “Esperanza’s mouth pressed in an irritated line.”

Example 2.) Her frustration was clearly shown in the line, “Esperanza’s mouth pressed into an irritated line” (Esperanza Rising 87).



Below you will find the criteria in which you will be graded for your theme essay.  Please make sure to read all of the objectives thoroughly, so you can make sure that your essay meets all of the requirements and will receive the best possible grade!  Please attach this rubric to the front of your theme essay before turning it in.  

KEY:
4=Virtually Perfect; nothing needs to be changed or enhanced
3=Well developed, yet could use a bit of fine tuning
2=Developing, yet still needs quite a bit of work
1=Hardly any development; needs much more work
0=Not developed at all

1. Thesis/Control Statement:  A clear and solid thesis statement is evident and is located toward the end of the first paragraph.  The thesis statement is a single sentence (not a question) that tells specifically what theme(s) are evident in your book.  (The theme is written as a lesson/message, not described as one word; it’s broad enough to be related to anyone, not just characters in the story, and the identified theme(s) is accurate.)
4   *  3  *  2  *  1  *  0

2. Organization of ideas/Format: There are five paragraphs, including an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Main ideas which support the thesis statement (themes) are clearly arranged into specific paragraphs, which include properly organized topic sentences and supporting sentences. Quotes from the book are properly placed to back up claims and are properly cited.

4  *  3  *  2  *  1  *   0

3. Development of Ideas : Each main idea is related to the theme(s) in the book and  is backed up with substantial support, which includes reasons illustrating how the theme(s) was evident in the book.  At least one quote must be included from the book that adequately backs up statements made about the theme(s).  You must also develop your introduction and conclusion with background/lead-in information.
.                                  4  *  3  *  2  *  1  *  0

4. Voice:  Your essay is written professionally (not conversationally), yet shows your own unique writing style.  Word choice is clever and precise, and sentence structure is clear, yet complex and varied. (Avoid having a series of short, choppy sentences.)
4  *  3  *  2  *  1  *  0

5. Mechanics:  There are no spelling , punctuation, or grammatical errors. The essay is typed, double-spaced, 12 pt. font, and includes proper margins/indentation.
4  *  3  *  2  *  1  *  0