Authors will often use the setting for a story, to tell the audience something related to the theme they are writing about. Study the picture above and think about what feelings you had when you were last at the beach. Analyse your memories and make a list of what happened and how you felt. If you are unable to find the theme in a story then start by thinking about the setting and this might give you some clues.
Example:
SettingThe scene above shows a hot, busy day at the beach. People usually go to the beach when the weather is good. This is usually associated with feeling good about life and feeling happy. There are lots of things going on at the beach; many things to do and see. Some people like to go to the beach because it is calm and relaxing. The sound of the waves makes it a peaceful place to be. However, the lifeguard flags in the middle of the shot reminds us that danger is ever present and we must still be alert. The surfers could be at risk of sharks or the tourists at risk from hidden rips. The waves are relentless.
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ThemeSome of the themes that could be associated with this scene are listed below:
* Holiday time is fun and relaxing * The beach is a peaceful place away from the pressures of society * Danger is all around and ever present * Adventure beckons (shown by the surfers in the water and the path leading up the hill) * Live the dream |
How to write a paragraph predicting themes based on setting...
Step 1 - Make a list of aspects of setting
Step 2 - Make a list of associations you can make based on the aspects of setting
Step 3 - Make a list of the ideas that you get when thinking about your associations
Step 4 - Organise your ideas so that you can write them in order
Step 5 - Find some evidence from the text so that you can include a few quotes
Step 6 - Write your ideas down using a SEED or TEEPEE framework
Step 2 - Make a list of associations you can make based on the aspects of setting
Step 3 - Make a list of the ideas that you get when thinking about your associations
Step 4 - Organise your ideas so that you can write them in order
Step 5 - Find some evidence from the text so that you can include a few quotes
Step 6 - Write your ideas down using a SEED or TEEPEE framework
Example of a prediction paragraph using The Hobbit by JRR Tolkein
In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort. It had a perfectly round door like a porthole, painted green, with a shiny yellow brass knob in the exact middle. The door opened on to a tube-shaped hall like a tunnel: a very comfortable tunnel without smoke, with panelled walls, and floors tiled and carpeted, provided with polished chairs, and lots and lots of pegs for hats and coats - the hobbit was fond of visitors. The tunnel wound on and on, going fairly but not quite straight into the side of the hill - The Hill, as all the people for many miles round called it - and many little round doors opened out of it, first on one side and then on another. No going upstairs for the hobbit: bedrooms, bathrooms, cellars, pantries (lots of these), wardrobes (he had whole rooms devoted to clothes), kitchens, dining-rooms, all were on the same floor, and indeed on the same passage. The best rooms were all on the left-hand side (going in), for these were the only ones to have windows, deep-set round windows looking over his garden and meadows beyond, sloping down to the river. |
Some of the themes that might emerge in The Hobbit are likely to be;
a comfortable home leads to a comfortable life; there's no place like home; taking care of your home is something to be proud of; its important to keep the cupboards well-stocked so you can welcome visitors; taking care of your appearance results in many friends an aesthetically pleasing environment makes a comfortable place to live |