The theme of a short story is simply its meaning. It is the main idea explored in the story by the writer and the central principle around which the story and character revolves. Sometimes, a writer crafts a story with a central idea, in which the theme is easy to identify and understand -- such as love, hatred, death. The theme can often be understood in the plot of a story, through the characters of a story, by understanding the conflict. Longer short stories and novels will have multiple themes.
Here are some guidelines to help you identify themes in short stories ;
- Understand the main conflict of the short story.
- Understand the epiphany.
- What does the story suggest about the human condition. The literature of short fiction includes several themes that are often repeated.
- Look for key phrases or sentences. Sometimes the writer reveals the theme by repeating symbols or motifs.
- Identify the big idea, what the story is about -- love, death, crime, abortion, lust, human, nature, marriage, and so forth.
Examples ;
The themes that can be found in The Necklace are ;
- Appearance and Reality
Maupassant demonstrates that Madame Loisel is beautiful but she isn't content. Mathilde has the apperance of beauty but not the reality of beauty.
- Suffering
Mathilde, the classic dissatisfies housewife, who spends her days weeping about how boring and shabby her life is. Her happiest night becomes her worst nightmare when she loses the diamond necklace she borrowed from her friend, Madame Forestier. She and husband experience different sort of suffering : the suffering of real poverty.
- Wealth
Mathilde is obsessed with wealth. She is so jealous of her friend's wealth, Madame Forestier. When Mathilde was given a chance to get decked out in diamonds and go to a ritzy part to mingle with all the beautiful people, but then she loses the diamond necklace she borrowed, casts into poverty and learns what it means to truly live without money.
We hope this helps ! Regards.
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