SOCIAL THEMES IN FICTION

ENGLISH IIICLZIANOSKI

LESSON OBJECTIVES• Demonstrate understanding of the social context of a

literary work

• Evaluate the impact of cultural experiences on literary themes or topics

• Analyze the author’s use of a first-person narrator

• Write a synthesis essay utilizing more than one source

#GOALS

WHAT ARE SOCIAL THEMES?• A theme is the underlying message of the story.

It is the central idea and varies depending on the reader.• Typical themes in literature deal with issues that are

common to most people, such as loss of innocence, difficult family relationships, new love, etc.

• A social theme is an idea or message that applies directly to society and societal issues.• Deal with issues that concern a particular group of

people, such as those in a certain neighborhood, geographical region, or religious community.

• Usually specific to a time and place, but they may echo in other cultures and times as well.

EXAMPLES OF SOCIAL ISSUES AND THEMES

• POVERTY

• RACISM

• CRIME

• DISCRIMINATION

• SEXISM

• CLIMATE CHANGE

• UNEMPLOYMENT

IDENTIFYING SOCIAL THEMES• Often portray characters struggling against poverty,

prejudice, and other social obstacles

• Focus on people who have few, if any, rights and privileges in society

• Look for characters who have little control over their fate, and ask yourself: what social factors contribute to their situation?

• Clarify the conflicts in the story and determine to what extent they are caused by forces beyond a character’s role

• Examine direct statements of a character’s or narrator’s opinions to see whether these provide clues to a theme

• Think about the author’s reason for writing the story. What was he or she trying to achieve?