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Topic vs. Theme

Topic: a broad topic or category for a piece of literature. Theme: a central idea, concern, or purpose in a literary work.

EXAMPLES Topic The Lion King Mean Girls Batman Begins Circle of Life Social Norms Fear Theme No matter what life throws at you, it is important to keep pushing forward toward your destiny. The social norms that divide us are not as real or strong as the humanity that connects us. To overcome your biggest fears, you must face them.

Anticipator Assignment
Topic !rash Theme

E"tremel Loud and #ncredibl !lose

The Pursuit o$ %app ness

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List o$ Theme &ords

Birth - life after loss, life sustains tragedy 'eath - death as mystery, death as a new beginning %eroism - false heroism, heroism and conflicting values Escape - escape from family pressures, escaping social constraints Love - love sustains fades with a challenge (ourne - most !ourneys lead back to home !oming o$ age - boy becomes a man Patriotism - inner conflicts stemming from patriotism Peace and )ar - war is tragic, peace is fleeting %ope - hope rebounds %opelessness - finding hope after tragedy Generation gap - e"perience versus youthful strength %ome - security of a homestead Betra al - fading bonds of love Po)er - #ust for power #solation - the isolation of a soul (udgment - balance between !ustice and !udgment *ortune - a fall from grace and fortune *amil - destruction of family Sense o$ sel$ - finding strength from within God and spiritualit - inner struggle of faith Good and evil - the coe"istence of good and evil on earth 'ut - the ethics of killing for duty Survival - man against nature !on$ormit - industriali$ation and the conformity of man #ndividualism - choosing between security and individualism 'eception - appearance versus reality +ace relations - learned racism Su$$ering - suffering as a natural part of human e"perience Alienation - creating emotional isolation Loss - loss of innocence, loss of individualism 'iscover - con%uering unknown, discovering strength

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