Clue 3

Mini 1. What is a literary theme? Provide an explanation and then 3 one-statement examples of a literary theme that reveals truth about the universal human experience.
A literary theme is a point or idea about the human race that the author wants to portray and show the readers in the text. A theme can be a sort of a main idea, but the author doesn't say it straight out. You have to analyze the characters and what they say, what they think, where the story takes place, and other things. The theme isn't there for you to read like a moral is at the end of some fables. You have to figure it out yourself. A theme is universal; everyone should be able to connect in someway to the theme. These are some examples of themes: Love lasts forever, even beyond death. War is useless. Actions are stronger than words.

Mini 2. What is the theme of your life, as you see it right now?
The theme of my life right now... would be "Wanting too much can destroy you." It's a little exaggerated, but it's my theme. Every time I've wanted something major, I haven't gotten it. And I would hope so much that when I didn't get it, I'd be so disappointed. People who don't want anything are never unsatisfied. But people like me who want and wish for things all the time, will never be satisfied. I realize that some of the things I want are unreasonable, but I can't help what I like. If I like it, I like it. All I have to do is stop hoping that I'll get what I want. Then my theme will be "People who don't want all the things in the world, are always satisfied."

Mini 3. In your opinion, what is the theme of God's plan for this world?
The theme of God's plan for this world, as to what I think, is "Love for Him is forever." In the Bible, it says multiple times that if we love Jesus, and accept him as our savior, we will be saved. We will never die, because Jesus has taken our sins. God has planned this since before even time began. He knew Jesus would die for us, that we were to trust that Jesus did, and whoever believed in him would become children of God. If we love Him, we live on. And our love will live on. Therefore, Love in Him is forever. This world shall love Him, forever, or never.

1. I've mentioned this a little in the first mini question. To find the theme in a story, you have to analyze the story, bit by bit. You have to take it apart and examine everything. Things like what the characters say, what the characters do, and where the story takes place. A writer, usually, will put their thoughts into the mouths of their characters. Through analyzing the characters' words and actions, you can see bits of what the author thinks of the world and human kind. These things will help you get to the theme. Where the story takes place can also help find theme. If the story takes place in a war-torn country, the theme could have something to do with war. So this is the process of finding the theme.

2. I think the theme of "The Utterly Perfect Murder" is that "Things change as time goes by." Doug remembers his childhood bully/friend Ralph. Ralph had bullied Doug all the time, but in some ways they were close and needed each other. Doug, though, has bad feelings for Ralph and wants to kill him...several years later. He remembers all the awful things Ralph had done to Doug when they were 12, and he gets prepared to kill his childhood enemy. But when he gets to Ralph's house, he sees that Ralph had changed so much since he was the bully. He aged...ungracefully. Him and Doug were the same age, but Ralph looked like he could easily be 10 or 20 years older. Doug now towered over Ralph. Doug was so shocked, he didn't kill Ralph. And so this shows that not all things last through the power of time. Most things will change, and that's what's happened to Ralph. So you've gotta put the past in the past, and leave it there.

3. The moral of a story is like a lesson of the story. A moral teaches the readers something about life. But that's not what a theme does. A theme doesn't necessarily 'teach' us anything; it more shows us something about life. Something about the human race. A moral is stated at the end of the story sometimes, especially in fables. But a theme has to be figured out. A moral tells us what we should do about something in the world, and a theme tells us the something in the world. So... I'm thinking the biggest difference is that morals teach and themes show. That's one way to be sure you're finding the theme and not the moral or main idea; a theme SHOWS and has an opinion in it.

4. Yes, I think it IS the theme statement to God's world. This verse talks about God sacrificing Jesus to save us. If we love Jesus and accept the gift God has given, we are saved from eternal death. This somehow relates to the truth in literature, because all people give. Whether they are fiction or real, they have to give something to receive anything. And so we see this in literature time and time again, the giving and the receiving. Or in some cases, sacrificing. Most conflicts need something to be solved. Therefore, this is how John 3:16 relates to literature and themes.