03/11 Theme

The theme is the most important idea or message in a story. The theme will say something about life or human nature.

Sometimes the theme is a moral or short lesson about life. The theme is often repeated in the story. Sometimes the author does not tell you the theme. Instead, you have to figure it out from the text.

There once lived a tortoise and a hare. The hare bragged that he was so fast he could beat anyone. The tortoise said he would race him. The hare started out way ahead. He thought it would take the tortoise a long time to catch up with him. He decided to take a little nap. The tortoise did not stop. He kept moving, slowly but surely. When the hare woke up, he saw that the tortoise was about to cross the finish line. He tried to catch up, but the tortoise beat him.

The author did not tell you what the theme is in this story. You have to figure it out. The tortoise was very slow, yet he kept going at a steady pace and won the race. The theme is, "Slow and steady wins the race."