Theme

Theme Analysis

Think about all of the stories we’ve read for this class so far.

• “A&P”
• “The Yellow Wallpaper”
• “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”
• “The Lottery”
• “The Story of an Hour”
• “Sonny’s Blues”
• “Miss Brill”
• “A Good Man is Hard to Find”
• “The Storm”
• “This is What it Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona”
• “Everyday Use”
• “The Things They Carried”
• “The Lottery”
• “A Worn Path”

For this journal entry, write about two of these stories that either (a) share a theme, which means that both stories essentially make the same point in their own ways or (b) share a topic, but have differing themes, which means they make different points about the same topic. For example, if there are two stories about growing up that seem to make the same point, that would be option (a); if there were two stories that each made a different point about growing up, that would be option (b).

In your journal entry, write about the two stories and their themes. How are they expressed in the story? What other literary elements contribute to the theme (symbol, setting, etc)? What quotes show or emphasize the theme? Is the theme the same as the lesson learned by the main character?

Your journal entry should be about 300 words long, written in an academic style. There’s no formatting requirements for journal entries, but be sure you include the names of the stories and authors. If you use quotes from the stories, be sure to include page numbers. Do not consult or use outside sources for this assignment. This is a journal entry, so no introduction or conclusion is required. Just be sure you follow the assignment, answer the questions, proofread carefully, use complete sentences, and include details to support your points.