what is a theme statement examples

What is a Thematic Statement (and How to Write One)

You may have heard the term “thematic statement” when it comes to novel writing.

But what does it actually mean?

Do you really need one?

Theme can be a pretty complex topic. There are many different interpretations. Sometimes terms are used interchangeably, and discussions around topic, theme, and thematic statements can be a bit mind-boggling.

The first challenge for authors is understanding what a thematic statement is in the first place.

The next is learning how to apply one to your novel to make it more powerful — because it definitely will.

A strong thematic statement can lift your novel from being a cracking yarn to truly moving work of fiction.

So let’s look at thematic statements in detail. This post will help clear up some of the confusion, give you some specific examples, and show you exactly how you can use them to write amazing stories.

What is a Thematic Statement

A thematic statement is a simple yet powerful message an author is trying to convey in their work.

For example:

• Love is the glue that binds the Universe together
• There is no such thing as true love
• Maternal love is the most powerful of all types of love

A thematic statement says something specific about the nature of life or the human condition, which the novel argues is true.

Mastering your Thematic Statement can give your novel heart, a deeper meaning, and resonance.

Thematic Statement Versus Theme

The difference between a Thematic Statement and a theme is that while a Thematic Statement is specific and contains a value judgement or opinion, themes tend to be more general, and may be explored from various angles.

So while the examples listed above are Thematic Statements, they are all incarnations of the theme ‘love’.

Thematic Statement Versus Topic

While these terms are sometimes confused, they are actually quite different.

The topic of a story is akin to the premise (also sometimes known as the elevator pitch).

It is a bite-sized overview of what your book is about.

It summarises the key plot, character and setting elements that are obvious on the surface, rather than hidden between the lines.

Harry Potter

Thematic Statement: Love and friendship always triumph over evil

Themes: Love, friendship, family, belonging, social inequality

Topic (premise) : A boy wizard joins a magical school and has to battle the greatest wizard who ever lived.

The Hunger Games

Thematic Statement: Survival is not enough without control over your own destiny

Themes: Control, power, loyalty, social inequality, love

Topic (premise): A girl is forced to take part in a televised fight to the death.

The Handmaid’s Tale

Thematic Statement: Sexist attitudes have consequences

Themes: Gender roles, power, rebellion, the place of an individual in society, the power of language

Topic (premise): After fertility in the human race crashes, women’s rights are revoked and they are forced to live as no more than breeding vessels.

Why Use a Thematic Statement?

In Story , Robert McKee calls a thematic statement the “central” or “ controlling story idea ,” the idea that guides you in writing your entire novel. It shapes the strategic choices you make as you write.

If used skillfully, a thematic statement will make the story feel deeper, and touch readers on an emotional level. It may even change how they view the world and how they behave.

One of the main themes in the Godfather, for example, is that as power shifts, it changes people.

This thematic statement is illustrated first by how Don Corleone changes from a nearly omnipotent crime boss to a devoted grandfather, and later, how reluctant Michael resigns himself to his position and becomes more ruthless.

Without this consistent, underlying theme, the Godfather stories would not be nearly as powerful or as memorable.

Do’s and Don’ts For Writing a Thematic Statement

Some authors might start writing with a thematic statement already in mind, but that’s probably rare.

It’s more likely that you will have a more general idea of themes you might want to explore.

But most writers start with something more solid, like an idea for a character and the conflicts they will face.

It’s natural to write your first draft without putting too much thought into themes or the Thematic Statement.

Then, when you read through your first draft, you’ll see concepts emerge, and at that point, you might want to decide what your Thematic Statement is – or what you would like it to be.

Then you can refine it by following the dos and don’ts here:

Do: Base it on Universal Themes

Starting with themes that touch us all, such as love, loyalty and freedom, is likely to lead you to a thematic statement that resonates with your readers.

If your Thematic Statement applies to quite specific themes or groups of people, it may not resonate with so many people.

For example

• Eating shellfish will lead to poor health
• The fabulously wealthy are often misunderstood
• Taking away people’s guns is akin to taking away their freedom

Don’t: Turn it Into a Moral Directive

A Thematic Statement is an assertion, or observation – it is not advice. It should not be telling people how to behave.

So avoid things like:

• Always tell the truth
• Live for today because tomorrow might never come
• You should be kind to old people

Do: Use Consequences to Illustrate Your Thematic Statement

A skilled writer will never use a character as their mouthpiece, and have them outright state the thematic statement.

But through the choices the character faces, the decisions they make and the consequences they endure – the assertion of the thematic statement should be driven home.

For example, taking this Thematic Statement:

Survival is not enough without control over your own destiny

Katniss repeatedly chooses the things that are important to her over her own safety and survival: from volunteering for a death match in order to protect her sister, to choosing to eat poison berries rather than murder her friend.

Don’t: Refer to the Specifics of Your Story

A Thematic Statement should be something that could be transplanted and applied to another novel.

• Harry learns the importance of friendship and loyalty
• A girl in a dystopian future chooses death over obedience

Keep it universal.

Do: Analyse Thematic Statements of Other Works

One of the best ways to learn anything is to study the greats. So take some of your favourite books or movies and try to work out what Thematic Statement the writer had in mind.

See if you can find evidence in the behaviour of the characters and the results of their actions, which support your analysis.

Here’s a good guide to working out the Thematic Statement of a novel:

• Pick the main topic addressed in the story
• Pinpoint the author’s view on the topic
• Format that perspective using a theme statement template

Don’t: Use Trite Cliches

The best Thematic Statements are unique and interesting philosophical ideas.

Using cliches such as ‘crime never pays’ or ‘love conquers all’ as the guiding controlling story idea, will likely result in a story that is just as cliche.

Do: Be Consistent

Once you have your Thematic Statement, make sure everything in your novel supports it.

This could include the behaviour of your main characters and sub characters, how the settings are conveyed, and the events that take place.

A good way to tell whether you’ve got a Thematic Statement or something else, is to put ‘The Author believes’ in front of it.

So this is okay:

• The author believes that love and friendship always triumph over evil

But these don’t make sense:

• The author believes Harry learns the importance of friendship and loyalty
• The author believes always tell the truth

It’s not foolproof, but it’s a handy rule of thumb.

9 Thematic Statement Examples

Here are some more examples of thematic statements:

• Humans are not fixed personalities but a set of constantly changing contradictions
• Valuing wealth over family will lead to misery
• Isolation leads to madness
• No matter people’s culture we are all the same at heart
• True love is built over time and shared experience
• The family we choose can be more loyal than those we are born with
• Love taken to extremes can become dangerous
• Having a true friend can help you survive the worst atrocities
• Only by releasing judgement of others can we find inner peace

More examples of Thematic Statements can be found here .

Use a Thematic Statement to Write a More Compelling Story

If you can get to grips with Thematic Statements and learn how to apply them effectively in your writing, then you have a very powerful tool for ensuring your stories resonate with readers and stay with them long after they’ve finished reading.

But at the end of the day, they are art, not mathematics, so if the statement that helps you write doesn’t exactly follow the rules above — don’t get too hung up on the details. If it works for you, then it works.

And not all novels need to express a unique, thought provoking philosophy. When it comes to genre novels in particular, they may express Thematic Statements that are common and often repeated. They can still be perfectly effective novels that readers enjoy.

So take a look at your own stories and see if you can identify the Thematic Statement.

Are there tweaks you can make to the story to make it even more consistent and powerful?

Or if you don’t have a Thematic Statement, could working to one make your novel more compelling?

And don’t forget to take a closer look at some of your favourite stories and try to work out what key message the author is trying to express.

Happy writing!

And then, as your next step, check out the novel writing roadmap .

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10 Thematic Statement Examples for High School Students

Nov 10, 2022

Think of the last book you read… what was it about? When you go to answer this question, do you focus on a summary of the plot or do you boil it down to a statement that focuses on the overall message of the book? The answer to that question may depend on whether you’re an English teacher or not!  If you’re doing the latter for the many books you read, which most often I think we – English teachers – unconsciously do, then you’re sharing thematic statement examples .

You are providing an overarching idea of what that book is about without providing many details about what happens with the plot and characters. But this is a skill that’s learned and honed; it’s a skill that you, as an English teacher, were taught when you were a student and now likely teach your own students!  

And teaching theme and how to write a thematic statement is important. Not just because it’s a great way to provide an overview of a book during small talk, but because it provides a clear way to check reading comprehension and understanding, it is a way to work on a different facet of summarizing, and it guides students to more analysis of the overall text.

Need help with Test Prep? Check out this FREE Pack of 3 Test Prep Activities to help students achieve success on standardized tests!

Table of Contents

How To Teach With Thematic Statement Examples

What is theme.

Theme in general is the deeper meaning of a story. It is often a recurring central idea that leads to a take-away message for the reader. Different parts of a story contribute to that message and different texts may share a theme, but how they’re communicated could be very different. 

What is a thematic statement? 

A thematic statement is an overall message from the story in the form of a short sentence. Some might boil it down to the big idea of a particular text, whether that’s a poem, short story, or novel. 

What’s noteworthy is that a theme – and thus a thematic statement – is not always singular in a text. There could be multiple themes in a piece of literature. Students could look at characters, setting, and plot, in addition to conflict and resolution in any given story. Through all of these elements, different themes might emerge though they are usually closely related. 

To teach students how to write strong thematic statements, a formula is helpful: Topic + Message = Thematic Statement. With this, students can use textual evidence to ground their thematic statements.

To help your students really ‘get’ the idea of theme check out this fun activity with graphic organizers to create different thematic statements .

Want to teach your students how to write a  LITERARY ANALYSIS ? Check out >>> Use Literary Analysis Examples in 5 STEPS!

10 Thematic Statement Examples

Whether you’re teaching short stories, poetry, drama, or film, here are 10 examples of thematic statements to use with your students:

3 Short Story Examples

• “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson is the story of a yearly tradition that proves deadly in a small town.  The story also provides several options for thematic statements such as a mother’s love develops over time or people should avoid participating in a harmful tradition, or even parents must encourage their children to listen to the law. This bundle of activities for “The Lottery” ensures students’ clear understanding of the story through Common Core-style questions before they dive into determining the theme of the story.
• “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allan Poe is about Prince Prospero who attempts to avoid a plague by hiding out from the inhabitants of his town. Like most Poe stories, it’s dark and twisted and absolutely perfect for engaging students!  The exploration of these themes and the textual evidence to support each one would allow you to differentiate for the students in your classroom. You could provide a variety of theme statements such as “Fear is an important part of human relationships” or “Having a positive attitude eliminates panic.” Students can read the story to find textual evidence for support. These examples and more are included in the activity pack for this amazing Poe story .

• “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce is about a civilian during the Civil War who is facing death as a result of his actions. It also has a twist that will capture students’ attention. Students can brainstorm one or two thematic statement examples and then use highlighters to color-code textual evidence. For example, a blue highlighter for evidence of “fantasies can be deceptive” and a green highlighter that supports “bravery will sometimes lead to success.” Once complete, students can review their color-coded stories to see which statement is best supported.

3 Poetry Examples

• “Annabel Lee” by Poe is about the love the narrator has for a woman in his life, however, it’s Poe so it also focuses on death!  Before diving into thematic statements make sure students have a strong comprehension of the poem using these poetry activities for this Poe poem .  Once they understand the poem, they can shift to writing thematic statement examples about it. What statement is best? What textual evidence would they use?
• Death cannot stop a person’s love.
• Beware the jealousy of the angels in heaven.
• Separation causes the heart to yearn for love.
• Love will ultimately cause gloom and despair.
• “Death, Be Not Proud” by John Donne tries to convince the reader to not fear death. To help with any lesson using this sonnet, check out these activities for visualization, comprehension, and writing . Then students can debate which thematic statement example is best: 
• People should understand that dying is momentary.
• People deserve the consequences of their actions.
• People must consider how to live effectively.
• People eventually must die.

• “A Poison Tree” by William Blake is a short poem about anger and, ultimately, murder. Get students to look closer at the emotional language in this poem with this group of activities to make teaching poetry stress-free . Then, they can shift to writing about any of these thematic statement examples for “A Poison Tree” with confidence! Which would they choose?
• Anger that is not dealt will escalate into harmful actions.
• Beware how you treat your enemies and your friends.
• Growing a tree takes time and careful planning.
• People deserve the consequences of their acts.

Need an easy way to teach rhetorical analysis? Click below!

2 Play Examples

• A scene from Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare that is perfect for analysis of theme is Tybalt’s death and the Prince’s speech in Act 3, Scene 1. These activities are simple yet rigorous to ensure students’ understanding! Through close reading, students can then focus on generating ideas about the theme of this scene. They’ll likely come up with words such as revenge, friendship, and consequences. Use these theme statement development activities with graphic organizers to scaffold the analysis for all students.
• In Act 3, Scene 2 of Julius Caesar , Brutus makes a speech where he attempts to justify his murder of Caesar and Antony responds. Working closely with this scene using these comprehension activities can ensure students’ understanding before they develop a thematic statement for it. In fact, the comprehension activities will help to find textual evidence for any number of thematic statement examples and options.

2 Film Examples

Incorporating film analysis is another option to explore and create thematic statement examples. 

Two favorite films to feature in class are the 1990 fantasy-romance film Edward Scissorhands by Tim Burton and Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 Shakespearean adaptation Romeo + Juliet . Before focusing on thematic statement examples, teach a bit about film techniques and analysis with these activities that can be used with any film !

Students can add another layer of analysis with film-focused vocabulary. In Edward Scissorhands , students might notice that after Edward meets Peg the visuals illustrate that some people may never be accepted for who they are. With Romeo + Juliet , the different camera angles and chosen shots strengthen the message that contention between people will ultimately affect others and lead to their destruction.

Why Teach With Thematic Statement Examples?

No matter the text, students often struggle with theme. Too often, the theme of a particular story, movie, or song is misunderstood. In order to be successful with thematic statements, students need to focus their analysis and find relevant textual evidence. These are skills that students must learn and practice year after year! With these 10 options, you’ll hopefully have lots to choose from as you teach your students! 

Once students learn to write accurate and specific thematic statements through using thematic statement examples , you can take the next step by exploring several texts linked by theme. Check out this post that examines particular topics for themed units such as taking revenge or death and dying .

Need more fun lessons and activities that incorporate thematic statement examples? Check out my store Kristin Menke-Integrated ELA Test Prep !

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50 Theme Statement Examples

Thematic statements are common in literary work. Writers use them to express their attitude towards the theme of their work or their intention in writing the particular literary piece.

Authors employ thematic statements to address readers and establish themselves as experts on the subject matter. They do this by sharing their knowledge, revealing their opinions concerning the theme.

What is a Theme Statement?

A theme statement is a sentence that reveals the general idea of the content as it is written and presented on paper. A good thematic statement is often an idea that can be condensed into one sentence or a generalization based on the entire content.

Why are Theme Statements Important?

• A theme statement helps readers focus on the main idea. Readers can then get an insight into what they are about to read, avoid being distracted by side issues, and stay on track.
• Thematic statements can be used by anyone who wants to make a point about what they are expressing. Teachers, business professionals, or students can use them to describe a project they have been assigned to do.
• A writer’s thematic statement is a reflection of their attitude towards the topic. It’s used to show what perspective they are using in writing about it.
• A good theme statement can be used to remind a writer of the project they have to do. It also acts as a guide that can help readers stay on track with what they are reading.

50 Thematic Statement Examples

The following are ten categories of theme statements with five examples for each category:

Theme statements about death

Theme statements about love, theme statements about change, theme statements about life, theme statements about nature, theme statements about friendships, theme statements about faith, theme statements about character, theme statements about parenting, theme statements about failure, steps for writing a great theme statement.

Remember that a theme statement is the essence of what you are trying to say about your subject. There are no rules or guidelines for writing one, but the steps below will get you there:

Consider several theme topics

Before deciding the most suited theme statement, you must have a list of options to choose from. Make sure you have a good understanding of the most important topics. Brainstorm as many ideas as possible

You’re not limited to a few sentences. Write as many as you can think of, then choose those that resonate with you most and discard those that don’t.

Analyze the options

Read through all your brainstormed ideas and think about which one fits in with your theme better than others. This step is to help you choose between your options, not eliminate them.

Do your research

Read through several sources on your chosen thematic sentence to get a better understanding. This will help you analyze the possible impact it will have on your audience.

Check out other theme statements

Going through and analyzing what other writers have will help you build your own. Try to see how they put it together and what makes their statement effective.

Decide on the best thematic statement for you

The right thematic statement is the one that best encapsulates what you want to say. You should feel confident about it and know that it will work well with your article.

Write your thematic statement

Once you’ve chosen your theme, it’s time to write your thematic sentence. Keep in mind that it should be both effective and efficient.

Tips for writing a good theme statement are:

• Stay away from cliches. Readers have heard them way too many times, and they don’t make an impact anymore. Stay original.
• Use active verbs to help your statement come alive. Words like ‘can’ and ‘will’ make a world of difference.
• Your theme should sound well thought out, not spontaneous or random. It should be relevant to the article and not seem like it’s added in for good measure.
• Make your thematic statement relate to what you are writing about.
• Vary your sentence structure and length.
• Make sure the first words of your thematic statement are powerful enough to grab attention.
• Don’t be long-winded. Nobody likes a drag; keep your sentence concise and to the point.
• Make sure that there is a logical connection between your theme statement and the article. Don’t contradict yourself.

Themes versus Theme Statements

Many people will use the terms themes and theme statements interchangeably, but they are two very different things. The following are differences between themes and theme statements:

• Themes are what you write about, while your thematic statement is a summation sentence of what you want to communicate.
• A theme can be a word, while a theme statement is a complete sentence. E.g., a love theme can just be written as “love” while the statement goes like, “Love is a powerful emotion; it cannot be quenched.”
• A theme can be anything, while a theme statement needs to have more structure. It’s basically the essence of your work.
• A theme can be interpreted in many different ways. A theme statement is a more specific and overarching message that leaves no room for doubts or second thoughts.
• A theme can be found in the body, while a thematic statement is used in the introduction.
• A theme can help you understand what you’re writing about, but a theme statement will help your reader better understand your topic.
• A theme can be anything that gives some kind of meaning to your work, while a theme statement projects what you’re writing about.
• The chosen theme can be an idea, while a thematic statement is worded to show the reader if they agree or not.
• A theme can be about any part of your work, while a thematic sentence condenses what needs to be communicated in the beginning paragraph.
• Remember that your theme is what you write about, but your thematic statement helps you communicate it.

Examples of themes versus theme statements

Bottom Line

You want your theme statement to be the final piece that brings everything together. It’s all about finding what works best for you and your article, and it may take some tweaking. Having a clear idea of what your essay is about and who your audience is will help you.

I ‘m a freelance content and SEO writer with a passion for finding the perfect combination of words to capture attention and express a message . I create catchy, SEO-friendly content for websites, blogs, articles, and social media. My experience spans many industries, including health and wellness, technology, education, business, and lifestyle. My clients appreciate my ability to craft compelling stories that engage their target audience, but also help to improve their website’s search engine rankings. I’m also an avid learner and stay up to date on the latest SEO trends. I enjoy exploring new places and reading up on the latest marketing and SEO strategies in my free time.

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Thematic Statement

Writing Thematic Statement - Intro, Steps & Examples

Published on: Jul 21, 2020

Last updated on: Aug 8, 2023

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One of the most important parts of academic writing and literature is a thematic statement. This one or two-sentence description expresses what themes are explored in this work, but it's not always an essay task.

To compose good statements, you need to have a sound understanding of literary works that can't be found by reading this blog post!

What is a Thematic Statement?

Thematic statements are sentences that express a central message of the writing. They can come as one sentence, but often they will span to two or more sentences because there is usually so much information about the theme in any given work. It needs time for all points to be raised before concluding with what stands out most from reading.

A thematic statement is a way to plot characters and tell what you will say about your essay.

Themes have been found in literature before, but not always. It means that one person might find something a second person doesn't.

Thematic Statement Definition

“It is a central message of a literary work that the author wants to convey about the subject.”

Purpose of Thematic Statement

The thematic statement is a summary of the whole work. It aims to give readers an idea about what this literary piece will be like before they read it in full while also giving insight into its main message and theme.

It provides some background information on how exactly the writer has constructed their text so that you can understand where I'm coming from with my argumentation when reading aloud later at your destination.

Thematic Statement vs. Theme

Theme and thematic statement are two fundamental concepts in literature.

The theme is the message a writer wants to convey through their work, while the thematic statement provides context for understanding what this means (i.e., it tells you about the theme).

A theme is a thought or idea that the writer wants to say. A thematic statement tells you what that theme is or gives you more info about it if you did not know it already. It might have more than one theme, but there's always something behind those themes without it being said outright.

That means don't just read the surface-level information!

How to Write a Thematic Statement?

There is no specific way to write a thematic statement, but there are some important steps that you must follow. These guidelines will help you write a strong one.

1. Design a List of Theme Topics

Collect different ideas from your book and make a list of them. Check to see which one you can support with evidence, like facts or examples. Then, choose the idea that you can best support using the text in your book.

2. Conduct Extensive Research

To get a good idea for your writing, start with research! First, look through the books and articles that are relevant to your topic. Then, think about what message you want readers to take away from it or how they might feel after reading it.

3. Read Thematic Statements of Other Writers

A literary work can reveal a person's thoughts on many issues. One could say it is the author's interpretation of life that they wrote to share with others. So, when you are writing your thematic statement, always read other writers’ statements.

And evaluate how they are crafting their thematic statements.

4. Identify the Conflict Areas

Conflicts are important to understand the theme. The conflict is what makes the theme so interesting.

If you know the conflict, you can better understand the central concept of your work and will be able to figure out motives and values that help you understand what motivates people in conflicts.

5. Focus on the Goal

The thematic statement is the most important part of your work. It should be brief and say everything you want to convey in one sentence, so focus on getting it right rather than detail other aspects such as what or how?

Thematic statements are critical because they communicate a message quickly without losing meaning. Make sure you get this done before writing anything else!

6. Avoid Moral Edict

A theme statement is good. It observes and considers ideas and actions, but it does not say what people should or should not do. So avoid words that tell someone what to do like "ought," "should," and "must."

7. Avoid Clinches

Cliches have already been used a lot, so they don't sound unique. It is better to come up with an original statement for your work.

Thematic Statement Examples

What are the literary elements of a thematic statement? An author's overarching message for their work is often stated in one sentence.

Here, we'll explore some examples from famous writers that demonstrate what you might see when reading any good theme statements:

Thematic Statements Example for Love

• Love taken to extremes can become dangerous.
• Loving yourself, despite your flaws, can lead to a happier life.
• Love can help us to be our best selves.
• Deep love can protect us even after they leave this Earth.
• Love has the power to alter us in positive and negative ways.

Thematic Statements Example for Identity

• Finding acceptance in yourself leads others to accept you as well.
• Staying true to yourself can lead to possibilities in life you didn’t expect.
• It takes faith in yourself to thrive in a harsh world.
• Faith in yourself and your ability is a scary but essential lesson to learn.
• Your identity isn’t static but grows with you as you discover more about yourself.

Thematic Statements Example for Fear

• Fear is something more dangerous than the danger itself
• Fear is nothing more than just a state of mind
• The biggest thing to fear about is fear itself
• You can’t stop being afraid just by pretending everything that scars you isn’t there
• No passion so effectually robs the mind of all its powers of acting and reasoning as fear.

Thematic Statements Example for Racism

• Racism is often held under the pretext of “us vs. them.”
• In order for racism to exist, there must be oppression and hostility in power.
• Societies utilize racism to systematically repress a culture and gain an advantage (social, political, or economic) over that population.
• Racism is being replaced by fear; it is driven less by belief in superiority but fear in inferiority.
• When political power is defined by racism, control and influence are inevitably derived from segregation, oppression, and malevolence.

Thematic Statement Template

Check out the detailed template of writing a thematic statement to get a better idea.

Thematic Statement Format

This guide will help you if you are stuck. We have everything you need to know about thematic statements. Follow the guidelines and start writing a theme statement now. If you get stuck, we can help.

All you have to do is request ‘ do my essay ’ and we will provide high-quality content at a good price.

Just say ' do my homework ' and our writers will get to it!

Caleb S., Marketing, Literature

Caleb S. derives the most satisfaction from helping students reach their educational aspirations. With a Master's degree from Oxford University, Caleb has ample experience in writing that he can use to aid those who request his assistance. Focusing on his client's necessities, he always goes the extra mile to deliver first-rate service.

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How to Write a Clear Theme Statement (with Examples)

Have you been asked to write a theme statement? It might seem easy at first glance, because theme statements are so short — one sentence, or two at most. Coming up with a solid theme statement requires careful analysis, however. Here’s how to write a strong theme statement for any work of art.

Theme Statement Basics

A theme is, in works of art, literature, film, and TV, the one overarching idea that defines the work. No matter the plot and the sub-themes explored in the work, the main theme will shine through in everything the work deals with. A theme statement is a short summary of that idea — a single sentence, or sometimes two, that lay the subject out for an audience.

Theme statements are helpful tools when analyzing a work. In the case of novels, movies, and TV shows, they can also be used to draw potential audience members in without spoiling the work — because (and this is important, so listen up!) a theme statement is not a plot summary, and should never mention specific plot points !

A good theme statement describes the essence of a work, but not its details. It describes the whole work, and not only one particular part of it.

Here’s one example:

In the Amazing Spider-Man 2, Marc Webb shows that with great power, there must not only come great responsibility, but also great sacrifice.

Theme statements are, however, to an extent open to interpretation. Works of art often have multiple themes, and you can write an accurate theme statement in a few different ways.

Theme Statement Vs. Theme Topic

If you find yourself needing to craft a theme statement, you may struggle with this question. How does a theme statement differ from a theme topic? Understanding the similarities and differences is quite easy, thankfully. Look at it like this:

• A theme topic simply describes the theme of the work — and although there are many, some common examples include “rags to riches”, “coming of age”, or “true love”.
• A theme statement, in contrast, is a complete sentence (or even two), with some additional information and an interpretation about the way in which the work (film, book, painting, poem…) deals with the theme topic.

As an example, “love conquers all” would be a theme topic. “The central theme in Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar is that only love can prevail across space and time,” would be a theme statement.

How to Write a Theme Statement

Are you still lost? Are you no closer to writing a killer theme statement now than when you started reading? That’s where this step-by-step guide comes in. Warning: Penning a high-quality theme statement requires a deceptively large amount of work and creative power.

1. Explore the Work Thoroughly

Theme statements may be written about:

• Short stories

Your first step lies in interacting with the work — and to keep things simple, let’s say you’re writing a theme statement about a novel. Read the work thoroughly, cover-to-cover, at least once. It helps if you take notes as you read.

2. Make a List of the Theme Topics You Discover

As you read, you will inevitably discover that the book contains multiple sub-themes. Get yourself a nice notebook, or set up a Word document, and write down any theme topic you come across.

Which one bleeds through in the entire work? That will be the main theme. From the main challenge the protagonist faces and the way in which they overcome it, the interactions the characters have, the language used, and the way in which the setting is described, can you guess the author’s opinion on this central theme? Now you have a solid base to work with.

Reading the book closely, and asking yourself what message it’s sending, is the way to find a theme in a literary piece. That same process works for movies, TV shows, and short stories as well. Finding the theme in a painting or poem can be significantly more challenging, however.

3. Explore the Author’s Thoughts

The work you are interacting with, and are attempting to write a theme statement for, is of course the main place where you will be exploring the author’s thoughts on the book’s theme topic. It is not, on the other hand, your only possible source of information. Especially if you are writing a theme statement for a more recently-written book, you are highly likely to be able to find:

• Interviews in which the author shares their thoughts on the character’s main struggles and the ultimate meaning of the literary work.
• Social media blurbs on the topic.
• Don’t discount the synopsis on the back of the cover, either! You’ll often find a lot of good info there.

4. Use a Template or Theme Statement Generators

Congratulations! The book you are writing a theme statement for has now become, at the very least, an “acquaintance”, and maybe even a “friend”. You have immersed yourself in the book’s overarching theme, and you have intellectually analyzed the book, at least informally in your own mind.

Still not sure how to write a theme statement? You could look for theme statement templates or theme statement generators on the internet, and find some useful tools. You could also work with the following informal template:

The [film/book/poem/etc] [title], by [author] explores [main theme], showing that [main opinion or message about the theme].

Once you’re done filling in the blanks, get to work on rewriting that sentence to make it sound a lot more appealing.

You could start your sentence with:

• [Name of the work] masterfully explores how….
• The main theme of [Title] is that…
• [Name of author’s] work [Title] shows that…

Once you have penned a theme statement you wholly agree with, and you feel confident that it reflects the spirit of the work, you will only need to format it and incorporate it, where relevant, into a wider essay you are writing about the work.

Good Examples of Theme Statements

Are you still not certain that you are on the right track with your theme statement? It always helps to see some examples in action.

Theme Statements Exploring Family

The remake of the classic show Lost in Space sheds a new light on an age-old struggle — exploring each member’s individuality in relation to the family unit.

E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web illustrates that “family” is not necessarily the group one is born into, but a group that chooses to stick by one another unconditionally, no matter what struggles lie ahead.

Theme Statements Dealing with Friendship

Stranger Things is ultimately about the enduring power of friendship — which can, with the right dose of determination, overcome almost anything.

Spider-Man Far from Home deals with some of the hardest aspects of friendship, asking what lengths we are morally obliged to go to to protect those we love.

Theme Statements Discussing Love

Shakespeare explores the unstoppable force of love, regardless of obstacles, in Romeo and Juliet .

Pride and Prejudice leaves no stone unturned as it boldly discusses the ways in which budding love can change us forever.

Theme Statements About Death

They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera demonstrates the power of mortality itself, for it is the guaranteed ending that makes life worthwhile.

Henry Scott-Holland’s poem Death Is Nothing At All explores the transitory nature of life.

Theme Statements that Touch on Fear

In Heart of Darkness , Joseph Conrad shows that fear can be used to control — or to overcome.

Sony’s Into the Spider-Verse sheds a unique perspective on the universal emotion of fear, showing that our own insecurities often represent our most significant fetters.

Theme Statements about Identity

Good Will Hunting explores the universal themes of abandonment and identity, asking whether trusting others is possible after a lifetime of isolation and fear.

Frances Hodgson Burnett’s Secret Garden is a tale of lost souls who are found, and learn to trust themselves in the process.

The book Record of a Spaceborn Few , by Becky Chambers, shows that even the oldest of traditions must sooner or later bend to the harsh tides of history.

Social Issues

Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games trilogy grapples with the universal human challenge of injustice, showing that hope can be found in the darkest of places.

The Hate U Give , by Angie Thomas, is a coming-of-age story with a twist. When oppression is a daily reality, Thomas shows, love and unity are the only way forward.

5 Important Tips on Writing a Theme Statement

Are you ready to rock your own theme statement now? Yes — very nearly. Before you do go forward with your final version, you’ll want to make sure to stick to a few important dos and don’ts.

When you present a theme statement for a book, movie, TV series, or piece of poetry, see to it that your statement is:

• The best theme statements are the result of the hard work you did in interacting with (reading, watching) the work of art you are writing a theme statement for, and getting to know it intimately. Once you are familiar with the work, you can analyze it and present an authentic opinion on its main theme. Note that others may disagree with you. That is OK, as long as you sincerely believe that your position is correct and can defend it.
• Your opinions in writing your theme statement should flow directly from the literary or cinematic work you are analyzing; don’t bring your own baggage into the theme statement if the work does not explicitly tackle it.

As you pen your theme statement, make sure that you don’t:

• Offer specifics. This is both so that you can see the “trees for the forest”, so to speak, and identify the theme rather than the plot points, and so that you do not spoil the work for people who have not yet read it or seen it.
• Deal in cliches. It’s easy. You’ll even spot a few in the previous section. If your theme statement is important to you, however, try to toss your preconceived ideas aside and analyze the work’s important subject matter in a novel way.
• Don’t generalize in your theme statement. Love doesn’t “always triumph”, for instance.

As long as you keep these points in mind, and you have done the work you need to in analyzing your book, movie, or other piece of art, you will end up with a theme statement you can be proud of.

How to start a theme statement?

You can start a theme statement simply by discussing what work of art you are talking about — “in [this work] authored by [this person]…”, or “[Author’s] classic book, [title], shows that…”. Your readers want to know what you are talking about, after all. Take it from there.

How to write a theme statement essay?

After opening your essay with the theme statement, as you view it after careful analysis, you can discuss the main theme and related sub-themes explored within the work you are analyzing in detail. You may compare the work to other works that deal with similar themes, perhaps in entirely different settings, as well.

How to write a theme in a sentence?

If you follow the format of “who wrote this work”, “what’s the main underlying topic?”, and “why is that important?”, you will be able to summarize the theme of a literary or cinematic work in a single sentence. Remember that theme statements may have two sentences, though.

How to write a theme paragraph?

If you were asked to write an entire paragraph, simply explore the work’s theme topic in more depth. You should still avoid any specifics, including plot points or character analyses.

Can you find a theme through titles?

Titles can sometimes offer important clues about a work’s theme. This is not always the case, however. Some works of art have deceptively unrelated titles.

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50+ Powerful Thematic Statement Examples

A thematic statement is a simple yet powerful message an author is trying to convey in their work.

Learn what a thematic statement is in simple terms and how to create one. Get clear theme statement examples on love, identity, and trust.

What is a theme?

A theme is a message or main idea that the writer wants the reader to remember after reading his/her work. Most stories, plays, novels, and poems have more than one theme. Some works, like mysteries, might be intended primarily for entertainment and not have a clear theme.

What is a Thematic Statement?

A thematic statement is a complete sentence (or two) that express a theme. A thematic statement could serve as a thesis in a thematic essay.

A thematic statement is an overall message from the story in the form of a short sentence. Some might boil it down to the big idea of a particular text, whether that’s a poem, short story, or novel.

For example:

• Love is the glue that binds the Universe together.
• There is no such thing as true love.
• Maternal love is the most powerful of all types of love.

A thematic statement says something specific about the nature of life or the human condition, which the novel argues is true.

Mastering your Thematic Statement can give your novel heart, a deeper meaning, and resonance.

Some Good Examples:

• Topic: Love
• Theme: Unconditional love withstands any obstacle.
• Topic: Hope
• Theme: Hope can help a person to survive any dark time.
• Topic: Courage
• Theme: It is important to have courage to express your individuality.
• Topic: Jealousy
• Theme: Jealousy can cause lasting damage to individuals and relationships.

To teach how to write strong thematic statements, a formula is helpful: Topic + Message = Thematic Statement. With this, you can use textual evidence to ground their thematic statements.

Purpose of Thematic Statement

The thematic statement is a summary of the whole work. It aims to give readers an idea about what this literary piece will be like before they read it in full while also giving insight into its main message and theme.

It provides some background information on how exactly the writer has constructed their text so that you can understand where I’m coming from with my argumentation when reading aloud later at your destination.

Thematic Statement vs. Theme

Theme and thematic statement are two fundamental concepts in literature.

The theme is the message a writer wants to convey through their work, while the thematic statement provides context for understanding what this means (i.e., it tells you about the theme).

A theme is a thought or idea that the writer wants to say. A thematic statement tells you what that theme is or gives you more info about it if you did not know it already. It might have more than one theme, but there’s always something behind those themes without it being said outright.

That means don’t just read the surface-level information!

How to Write a Theme Statement

1. Understand that a theme topic is NOT a theme statement.

• Examples of Theme Topics: Love, Justice/Injustice, Family, Struggle, the American Dream, Wealth, Inhumanity
• Examples of Themes: People risk their own identity to find love; Power corrupts. humanity; Without empathy, there can be no justice.

2. Create a list of theme topics that can be supported with evidence from the text and choose ONE topic that is best demonstrated by the text.

• Hint: The great thing about theme is that there can be multiple theme topics that can be supported by the evidence.

3.Write a sentence about what the author believes about that topic.

• Example: In Finding Nemo, the author believes that a person should learn how to trust themselves and others.
• Hint: Don’t use character names or specific details…keep it universal by using “a person” or “one” instead!
• Hint: Don’t be too vague! “Family is important” is not a theme statement, but “One should put family before all others” is a theme statement.

4.Cross out “the author believes that” and revise the sentence.

• Theme Statement: A person should learn how to trust themselves and others.

Theme Statement Examples

Theme statements come in all different shapes and sizes. And there is a plethora of theme topics you might find in stories. To create a perfect theme statement, you combine that overarching theme topic with a message the author is making.

Check out a few different examples:

• Love and friendship always triumph over evil.
• Survival is not enough without control over your own destiny.
• Sexist attitudes have consequences.
• Humans are not fixed personalities but a set of constantly changing contradictions.
• Valuing wealth over family will lead to misery.
• Isolation leads to madness.
• No matter people’s culture we are all the same at heart.
• True love is built over time and shared experience.
• The family we choose can be more loyal than those we are born with.
• Love taken to extremes can become dangerous.
• Having a true friend can help you survive the worst atrocities.
• Only by releasing judgement of others can we find inner peace.

Thematic Statements Example for Love

• There is only one love in life, and it must be cherished.
• Loving yourself, despite your flaws, can lead to a happier life.
• Love is a powerful force that should not be taken for granted.
• Deep love can protect us even after they leave this Earth.
• Love can help us to be our best selves.
• Love comes in all shapes and forms; it should be embraced rather than denied.
• Successful relationships can be built on love, loyalty, and trust.
• Love has the power to alter us in positive and negative ways.
• True love is the only thing that matters in life, and it starts with loving oneself.

Thematic Statement Examples for Identity

• Finding acceptance in yourself leads others to accept you as well.
• Staying true to yourself can lead to possibilities in life you didn’t expect.
• It takes faith in yourself to thrive in a harsh world.
• Faith in yourself and your ability is a scary but essential lesson to learn.
• Your identity isn’t static but grows with you as you discover more about yourself.

Thematic statements examples for Change

• Change is constant and inevitable; people should embrace it rather than fear it.
• Adapting to change is the most powerful thing anyone can do.
• Change is something that should be embraced; it creates new opportunities and enhances growth.
• Life can never stay the same, it must be embraced, not feared.
• Resisting change leads to stagnation; embracing it leads to growth.

Thematic Statements Example for Fear

• Fear is something more dangerous than the danger itself.
• Fear is nothing more than just a state of mind.
• The biggest thing to fear about is fear itself.
• You can’t stop being afraid just by pretending everything that scars you isn’t there?
• No passion so effectually robs the mind of all its powers of acting and reasoning as fear.

Thematic statements Example for life

• Life is what truly matters, not what people leave behind but how they have lived.
• Life is transient, so every day should be cherished and made the best out of.
• The brevity of life is what makes it special; no need to fear death.
• Life is fleeting and people should be living it while they still have the chance.
• Life is what people make it, regardless of its challenges.

Thematic Statements Example for Racism

• Racism is often held under the pretext of “us vs. them.”
• In order for racism to exist, there must be oppression and hostility in power.
• Societies utilize racism to systematically repress a culture and gain an advantage (social, political, or economic) over that population.
• Racism is being replaced by fear; it is driven less by belief in superiority but fear in inferiority.
• When political power is defined by racism, control and influence are inevitably derived from segregation, oppression, and malevolence.

Thematic Statements Example for friendships

• A true friend is someone who stands by you in adversity.
• Friends can come and go, but family will always be there for you.
• The quality of a friendship is measured in the time and effort put into it.
• A true friend is someone who accepts you for who you are.
• Genuine friendships are hard to find; it’s worth the wait.

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How to write a theme statement

When you get done with a reading assignment for school, usually an essay, novel, or short story, you'll sometimes be asked to write a theme statement.

The definition of a theme statement can vary, but essentially it's asking you to state what the piece of writing was about — not the plot, but what sort of insight or perspective does it give on life/the world/human nature?

Theme is also sometimes known as the "main idea" of a story.

But how do you find the theme of a story? And how do you write a theme statement?

To write a theme statement, follow these 3 steps:

• Pick the main topic addressed in the story
• Pinpoint the author's view on the topic
• Format that perspective using a theme statement template

Let's dive a little deeper:

Finding the theme of a story using topics

After you're finished reading the book, story, or essay (you did read it, right?!), think back on the main character or characters.

Did they undergo some kind of change throughout the journey? Did their outlook on life evolve in some way?

That's usually a pretty good place to start looking for the theme.

For example, maybe the story deals with the broad topic of "love." Well "love" by itself isn't a theme, but a specific perspective on love could be.

Try this exercise once you've found your topic. Fill in the blank:

"This author believes _____ about (topic)."

In our example about love, maybe the story's about how love conquers all. Or maybe it's about how love is fleeting and fickle.

Your theme at this point might look something like this:

"The author believes that true love doesn't really exist."

(A little dark, but hey, it's just an example!)

Using a theme statement template

Every teacher or instructor is going to have their own way of wanting you to present your theme statement, so be sure to get clarity on that directly from them.

That said, there are some agreed upon "rules" of writing theme statements.

• Don't include specific characters or plot points. This perspective on life should apply to people and situations outside the story.
• Don't be obvious. "War is bad," is not a theme. Dig a little deeper using details from the story. (What specifically is bad about war? How does it negatively impact the characters or the world of the story?)
• Don't make it advicey. "You should always be there for your family," isn't a theme, it's a suggestion. Keep your theme statement objective and based solely on evidence from the story ("The bond between family can overcome any obstacle.")
• Don't use cliches. "Once a cheater, always a cheater," or "Actions speak louder than words," aren't themes. They're just expressions people use all the time and have very little power or real insight.

Here is a general template you can use based on what we learned above:

"The central theme of (piece of writing) is (author's position on topic) ."

Alternatively, you could try: "In (piece of writing), (author) presents the idea that (position on topic)."

You may also be asked to use supporting details from the story to back up your theme statement. In that case, your full theme statement might look something like this:

"The central theme of (piece of writing) is (author's position on topic). When (event from the story) happens, it results in (blank), which demonstrates (some element of the theme)."

You're going to have to tweak and adjust this based on how much detail the assignment calls for and which examples from the text you choose to use, but it should be a good starting point!

Theme statement examples

OK, so what does it look like in action?

Here are some example theme statements from stories you're probably already familiar with (I'm doing these mostly to demonstrate how to use the template. I hope you'll put a lot of thought into your own theme statements and play around with different ideas before committing to one) :

In 'The Dark Knight Rises', Christopher Nolan presents the idea that true heroism requires complete and utter selflessness.

The central theme of 'Finding Nemo' is that fear is sometimes more dangerous than danger itself.

In 'Romeo and Juliet', Shakespeare presents the idea that love is more powerful than hate.

Hope this helps! And good luck!

Questions? Let me know in the comments.

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