A Second Look

You might not notice a novel’s themes as quickly as you notice its topics. Theme is something that most readers think about later, after they’ve finished reading the story. Even then, identifying a novel’s themes takes careful thought and consideration.

When you are ready to identify a novel’s themes, it may help to have a set of strategies―especially if you’re not used to thinking about a story’s bigger meaning. The slides below demonstrate some useful approaches.

Think about the novel’s title and decide how it relates to the rest of the novel.

The Giver is not just the title of Lois Lowry’s novel―it’s also the name of one of its main characters. What is the Giver’s role in the story? How does he affect Jonas, the novel’s protagonist?

Identify the topics that appear again and again throughout the story.

Lois Lowry includes many topics in her description of the Community. And Jonas raises many topics in his discussions with other characters, including the Giver, his parents, and his friends. Besides memories, what other topics are raised and discussed in the novel?

Ask yourself what makes the novel’s setting unique or important.

How do your thoughts about the Community change as you read the novel? How does Jonas react as he learns more about its rules and its history?

Focus on the novel’s conflicts and how they’re resolved. What does the novel’s plot say about life?

When Jonas understands what it means to be the Receiver and how his role affects everyone else in the Community, he decides to leave. What is the effect of Jonas’s way of resolving the novel’s conflict?

How can you identify a novel’s themes?