Determining Theme

Name: __________________________________________ Date: ______________________

Test Directions: You have 25 minutes to complete this test. Please answer the following questions to
the best of your abilities without any outside help or resources. When you finish, raise your hand and
I will collect your test. Sit quietly till the rest of the class finishes the test.
Multiple Choice. Circle the correct choice for each answer.
1. Which of the following is not an example of a theme?
A. Knowledge is power.
B. You have to follow your heart.
C. Nature is both beautiful and destructive.
D. Fear can be crippling.
2. In a fictional story, the theme is _________________
A. directly stated in the title.
B. implied and must be inferred by the reader.
C. directly stated several times through out the story.
D. a question posed by the author in the beginning.
True/False. Circle T for true or F for False.
3. T
4. T
5. T

F
F
F

Themes are messages about life or human nature.

The setting of a story is not important to the theme of the story.
The phrase, Moving leads to unexpected journeys can be considered a universal
theme.

Read and Respond. Read the following poem and answer the questions in complete sentences.
Hanging Fire by Audre Lorde
I am fourteen
and my skin has betrayed me
the boy I cannot live without
still sucks his thumb
in secret
how come my knees are
always so ashy
what if I die
before morning
and mommas in the bedroom
with the door closed.
I have to learn how to dance
in time for the next party
my room is too small for me
suppose I die before graduation
they will sing sad melodies
but finally
tell the truth about me
There is nothing I want to do
and too much

that has to be done

and mommas in the bedroom
with the door closed.
Nobody even stops to think
about my side of it
I should have been on Math Team
my marks were better than his
why do I have to be
the one
wearing braces
I have nothing to wear tomorrow
will I live long enough
to grow up
and mommas in the bedroom
with the door closed.

6. What is the title of this poem? ___________________________________________________

7. What is the setting of this poem? ________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
8. What is the plot of this poem? __________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
9. Who are the characters in this poem? ____________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
10. What is the conflict in this poem? _______________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
11. What are the symbols in this poem? _____________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
12. Using the six elements you discussed above, what is the theme of this poem? Explain how
using these six elements helped you come to a conclusion about the theme. _________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

Test Answer Key

1. B, because it is a You-Statement.
A is a theme because it is universal.
C is a theme because it is universal and is also a message about life/human nature.
D is a theme because it is universal and is also a message about human nature.
2. B, because a reader has to use context clues and story elements to infer theme.
A is incorrect because a theme is never stated directly anywhere in the text.
C is incorrect for the same reason as A.
D is incorrect because themes are not questions asked by the author or by anyone else.
3. True
Themes are messages about life or human nature.
4. False
The setting of a story is one of the elements readers use to determine theme.
5. True
Moving can lead to unexpected journeys can apply to several different situations and
several different people. It is a message about human nature.
6. The title of the poem is, Hanging Fire.
7. The setting is in a home of a parent and a teenager.
8. The teenage boy is growing up and facing challenging times while his mother does not notice.
9. A teenage boy and his mother are the characters in this poem.
10. The teenage boy is facing the challenges of growing up and experiencing puberty,
meanwhile, his mother is not there to support him through these challenges.
11. Closed doors are symbols of closed lines of communication. Skin betrayal is a symbol
for acne, puberty, and a general dissatisfaction with appearance. Thumb sucking is a symbol
for the speakers lack in maturity. Fear of death is a symbol of the speakers fears for never
escaping this transitional phase. It also represents the speakers confusion and fear of what is
happening to his body.
12. Potential theme statements for this poem are:
Teenage years can be challenging and scary.
Teenagers need the guidance of their parents.
Parents and teenagers struggle with communication.
Parents play a pivotal role during teenage years.
Kids never stop needing their parents.
Using the title, characters, plot, conflict, symbols, and setting of this poem allows us to
identify the most important parts of the poem so that we can infer the authors true
message about life/human nature.
Definitions of theme were retrieved from the following source:
Kamerman, R. (2011). Mini-lesson: Theme. [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from
http://mrkamermanenglish9.weebly.com/uploads/3/8/6/9/38695419/theme_
powerpoint.pdf