Humanities Homework Help

List at least 5 topics dealt with in Tell Me How It Ends. A topic would be something important addressed through the plot, characters, recurring words, etc. This is probably one word or concept. An example might be “family”.

2: Choose one topic and come up with at least 3 possible themes and briefly explain why you think each one could be a theme. A theme should state what the author is saying about a topic through the story. It should be a sentence.

3. Find at least 5 examples in the text supporting the theme. Include a quotation with page numbers and at least one sentence explaining how it supports the theme.

A theme is a major idea, message, or meaning in the text. It often involves a general insight or observation about humanity. A theme is not simply a subject, nor is it the plot of the story. Rather, it is an idea about a plot or subject. Many works of literature (like our book) are complex and have multiple themes.

For example, the subject/plot of Cinderella is, “a young girl who, though treated cruelly by her stepmother and stepsisters, continues to act kindly and passively. A prince falls in love with her and marries her, saving her from this situation.”
One theme of Cinderella might be, “Women can overcome adversity by remaining virtuous and enduring patiently even in the most difficult circumstances.” (I know, not my favorite fairy tale, either!)

A theme usually requires a complete sentence–it can’t be stated in a word or phrase.

A theme is a general idea about the story as a whole, not a specific observation about a character, setting, etc.

A theme can take the form of a moral or rule for behavior, but most often it will offer insight into how we behave rather than how we should behave. It helps to think in terms of what the story reveals, not what the story teaches us.