The theme is built on a topic, such as death, hope, the Liberian dream, etc., and how the topic affects the human condition, society, or life. As a reader, focus on what the story is revealing about the topic. The theme should be expressed as a statement, a general observation about human nature.

To help you write a thematic statement, consider the following:

• What is the story about — its general topic(s) (ie., money, wealth, death, etc.)?
• How is the topic developed? (Consider how characters change, symbols, climax, etc.)
• Do you notice any patterns in imagery, diction, etc.?
• Does the title have any significance?
• Does the narrator or character include any statement(s) that reveals a theme or observation?

What is NOT a theme

• a word or phrase (topic or subject)
• a command
• a judgment

To help you construct the thematic statement, make a list of important images, topics, etc., found in the text. Try to create a statement that includes the words in your list.

Example of a short story:

A Friend in Need is a Friend Indeed

Once upon a time, there lived a lion in a forest. One day after a heavy meal, it was sleeping under a tree. After a while, there came a mouse and it started to play on the lion. Suddenly the lion got up with anger and looked for the one who disturbed its nice sleep. Then it saw a small mouse standing trembling with fear. The lion jumped on it and started to kill it. The mouse requested the lion to forgive it. The lion felt pity and left it. The mouse ran away.

On another day, a hunter caught the lion in a net. The mouse came there and cut the net. Thus, the lion escaped. Thereafter, the mouse and the lion became friends. They lived happily in the forest afterwards.