An Introduction to Theme Learning Objective To recognise

An Introduction to Theme

Learning Objective To recognise themes in literary texts. Success Criteria • To make thematic links. • To explore the meaning of a text and the author’s intentions. • To creatively foreground themes of favourite texts.

Thematic Links What ties these images together? Fashion

Thematic Links What ties these images together? Technology

Thematic Links What ties these images together? Religion Photo courtesy of Esteban. barahona (@ wikipedia. org) - granted under creative commons licence - attribution

Defining Theme Why is a theme park called a theme park? What do you understand by the term ‘theme’? themenoun A recurring idea that shines a light on the meaning of a work. Related terms: subject, topic, motif, subtext

Finding Neverland What is J. M. Barrie’s. Peter Pan about? Peter Pan is about a boy who doesn’t grow old. He takes Wendy, John and Michael Darling to Neverland where they meet the Lost Boys, mermaids and Tinker Bell and do battle with Captain Hook. At the end of their adventures, Wendy decides that her place is back in London so Peter reluctantly returns the Darlings home but refuses to join the family himself. 1 star Peter Pan is about childhood innocence vs. adult maturity, families, death, imagination and escapism. 5 stars = plot = themes Looking back at the plot, can you now see themes emerging?

Dot to Dot Themes are rarely explicit; you have to read between the lines and join the dots in order to identify them. A series of dots or something more…? It is through theme(s) of a text that the creator communicates meaning. What are the following classic texts actually about? Oliver Twist Charles Dickens (1839) The Jungle Book Rudyard Kipling (1894) Romeo and Juliet William Shakespeare (1595)

Literature Land From Gulliver’s World(real, inspired by a story by Jonathan Swift) to Jurassic World (fictional, based on a book by Michael Crichton), many theme parks have had a basis in literature. Design a theme park based on your favourite book. Planning process: • Select an inspirational story. • Identify what it’s really about: themes. • Create a ride/zone for each – how can you bring theme to life? • Map it out – include explanatory annotations.

Roll Up, Roll Up. . . Volunteers to pitch their theme parks. Audience: • Is it clear what themes are? • Is the pitch strong enough to entice you in… would you want to read the book? Why/why not?

Here’s an example you can use and improve: harry Potter theme Park My rides might be: The Hogwarts Ghost Train Ride or Hagrids Scary Dragon Ride A shop might be : The Weasely’s Wizarding Sweet Shop or the The Wonderous Wand Shop Have fun !