theme writing essay

• PRO Courses Guides New Tech Help Pro Expert Videos About wikiHow Pro Upgrade Sign In
• EDIT Edit this Article
• EXPLORE Tech Help Pro About Us Random Article Quizzes Request a New Article Community Dashboard This Or That Game Happiness Hub Popular Categories Arts and Entertainment Artwork Books Movies Computers and Electronics Computers Phone Skills Technology Hacks Health Men's Health Mental Health Women's Health Relationships Dating Love Relationship Issues Hobbies and Crafts Crafts Drawing Games Education & Communication Communication Skills Personal Development Studying Personal Care and Style Fashion Hair Care Personal Hygiene Youth Personal Care School Stuff Dating All Categories Arts and Entertainment Finance and Business Home and Garden Relationship Quizzes Cars & Other Vehicles Food and Entertaining Personal Care and Style Sports and Fitness Computers and Electronics Health Pets and Animals Travel Education & Communication Hobbies and Crafts Philosophy and Religion Work World Family Life Holidays and Traditions Relationships Youth
• Browse Articles
• Learn Something New
• Quizzes Hot
• Happiness Hub
• This Or That Game
• Train Your Brain
• Explore More
• Support wikiHow
• About wikiHow
• Log in / Sign up
• Education and Communications
• College University and Postgraduate
• Academic Writing

How to Write a Theme Essay

Last Updated: January 4, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Jake Adams . Jake Adams is an academic tutor and the owner of Simplifi EDU, a Santa Monica, California based online tutoring business offering learning resources and online tutors for academic subjects K-College, SAT & ACT prep, and college admissions applications. With over 14 years of professional tutoring experience, Jake is dedicated to providing his clients the very best online tutoring experience and access to a network of excellent undergraduate and graduate-level tutors from top colleges all over the nation. Jake holds a BS in International Business and Marketing from Pepperdine University. There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 209,980 times.

Starting the Essay

• For example, an essay prompt may ask you to reflect on the theme of good versus evil in John Steinbeck's East of Eden .

• Make a list of everything you know about the topic. This can be information you learned in class, as well as information you found on your own.
• Write down keywords or key scenes in the text that respond to the essay prompt. Think about what words or scenes from the text come to mind when you think of a specific theme.
• For example, when you brainstorm ideas on East of Eden , you may write down any moments in the text that seem to speak to the theme of good and evil.

• Your thesis statement will need to address the theme, your primary example or examples, and the stance you will take on the topic.
• For example, your thesis might be: "In East of Eden , John Steinbeck rejects the Biblical idea of good and evil and instead focuses on the contradictions and complications found in good and evil."

• Introduction: Discuss landscape as metaphor, include thesis statement.
• Body: Describe mountains in opening scene, elaborate on how they symbolize good vs. evil, state how characters live between the mountains, showing how people are caught between good and evil.
• Conclusion: Restate thesis statement, return to landscape as metaphor.

Writing Your Essay

• Questions can make fun hooks for the reader. Ask a rhetorical question that relates to the theme of the essay, such as "How does one decide what is good and what is evil?"
• You can also use a quote from the text as the hook. Find a quote in the text that explores the themes and ideas you'll be discussing in your essay.

• For example, you may introduce the role of nature plays in the text to discuss the theme of good and evil. The first sentence of your body paragraph should discuss the role of nature. This will set up the paragraph and let the reader know what the focus of the paragraph will be.

• For example, you may discuss the use of nature in the text in one paragraph. The body of the paragraph should then use quotes and scenes in the text to support this idea.
• You might write,"The descriptions of the Gabilan Mountains in the text symbolize good and evil. The characters in the story live in the Salinas Valley, trapped in a gray area between these two extremes."

• Ask yourself, "What do I want my readers to have learned through this essay?"
• Remind readers about the essay's theme. Reference some of the arguments you made in the body of your essay, reinforcing how they support your original point.

Revising Your Essay

• Check that there are transitions between paragraphs. Look at the beginning of each paragraph to make sure they all flow well together.

• Print out your paper and proofread it. Oftentimes, errors are easier to catch on paper. If you can't print out your paper, try changing the size or type of the font. Anything that alters how the work looked when you wrote it can help alert you to errors. [13] X Trustworthy Source University of North Carolina Writing Center UNC's on-campus and online instructional service that provides assistance to students, faculty, and others during the writing process Go to source

• Be open to constructive feedback from friends and peers. This will only improve the essay and ensure it is at its best when you turn it in.

Expert Q&A

You Might Also Like

• ↑ Jake Adams. Academic Tutor & Test Prep Specialist. Expert Interview. 20 May 2020.
• ↑ https://penandthepad.com/write-essay-theme-book-2200.html
• ↑ https://wts.indiana.edu/writing-guides/how-to-write-a-thesis-statement.html
• ↑ https://www.grammarly.com/blog/essay-outline/
• ↑ https://www.grammarly.com/blog/how-to-write-a-hook/
• ↑ https://libguides.newcastle.edu.au/how-to-write-an-essay/conclusion
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/the_writing_process/proofreading/steps_for_revising.html
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/the_writing_process/proofreading/proofreading_suggestions.html
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/editing-and-proofreading/

About This Article

When writing a theme essay, you’ll need to explore a given theme in the text you’re studying. Before you start your essay, brainstorm some notes about your theme, which you can then build your essay from. For example, if you have the theme of good and evil, think about which characters are mostly good or evil, any good or evil actions they take, description that uses light and darkness, and any religious context. In your intro, state your thesis, which should summarize your essay’s main argument. Then, choose 4 or 5 examples of your theme and write a paragraph exploring each one. Make sure you support your points with quotes from the text. In your conclusion, link your ideas back to your thesis statement. For more tips from our English co-author, including how to revise your essay to polish it up, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

• Send fan mail to authors

Reader Success Stories

Mar 13, 2018

Did this article help you?

Jul 29, 2017

Dec 18, 2016

Nov 8, 2016

Ashley Ding

Nov 22, 2016

Featured Articles

Trending Articles

Watch Articles

• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Do Not Sell or Share My Info
• Not Selling Info

Don’t miss out! Sign up for

wikiHow’s newsletter

How to write a theme statement

When you get done with a reading assignment for school, usually an essay, novel, or short story, you'll sometimes be asked to write a theme statement.

The definition of a theme statement can vary, but essentially it's asking you to state what the piece of writing was about — not the plot, but what sort of insight or perspective does it give on life/the world/human nature?

Theme is also sometimes known as the "main idea" of a story.

But how do you find the theme of a story? And how do you write a theme statement?

To write a theme statement, follow these 3 steps:

• Pick the main topic addressed in the story
• Pinpoint the author's view on the topic
• Format that perspective using a theme statement template

Let's dive a little deeper:

Finding the theme of a story using topics

After you're finished reading the book, story, or essay (you did read it, right?!), think back on the main character or characters.

Did they undergo some kind of change throughout the journey? Did their outlook on life evolve in some way?

That's usually a pretty good place to start looking for the theme.

For example, maybe the story deals with the broad topic of "love." Well "love" by itself isn't a theme, but a specific perspective on love could be.

Try this exercise once you've found your topic. Fill in the blank:

"This author believes _____ about (topic)."

In our example about love, maybe the story's about how love conquers all. Or maybe it's about how love is fleeting and fickle.

Your theme at this point might look something like this:

"The author believes that true love doesn't really exist."

(A little dark, but hey, it's just an example!)

Using a theme statement template

Every teacher or instructor is going to have their own way of wanting you to present your theme statement, so be sure to get clarity on that directly from them.

That said, there are some agreed upon "rules" of writing theme statements.

• Don't include specific characters or plot points. This perspective on life should apply to people and situations outside the story.
• Don't be obvious. "War is bad," is not a theme. Dig a little deeper using details from the story. (What specifically is bad about war? How does it negatively impact the characters or the world of the story?)
• Don't make it advicey. "You should always be there for your family," isn't a theme, it's a suggestion. Keep your theme statement objective and based solely on evidence from the story ("The bond between family can overcome any obstacle.")
• Don't use cliches. "Once a cheater, always a cheater," or "Actions speak louder than words," aren't themes. They're just expressions people use all the time and have very little power or real insight.

Here is a general template you can use based on what we learned above:

"The central theme of (piece of writing) is (author's position on topic) ."

Alternatively, you could try: "In (piece of writing), (author) presents the idea that (position on topic)."

You may also be asked to use supporting details from the story to back up your theme statement. In that case, your full theme statement might look something like this:

"The central theme of (piece of writing) is (author's position on topic). When (event from the story) happens, it results in (blank), which demonstrates (some element of the theme)."

You're going to have to tweak and adjust this based on how much detail the assignment calls for and which examples from the text you choose to use, but it should be a good starting point!

Theme statement examples

OK, so what does it look like in action?

Here are some example theme statements from stories you're probably already familiar with (I'm doing these mostly to demonstrate how to use the template. I hope you'll put a lot of thought into your own theme statements and play around with different ideas before committing to one) :

In 'The Dark Knight Rises', Christopher Nolan presents the idea that true heroism requires complete and utter selflessness.

The central theme of 'Finding Nemo' is that fear is sometimes more dangerous than danger itself.

In 'Romeo and Juliet', Shakespeare presents the idea that love is more powerful than hate.

Hope this helps! And good luck!

Questions? Let me know in the comments.

Now Read This: Every method imaginable for finding and fixing your typos

You might also like..., flex your muscles: 7 creative exercises for copywriters & content marketers, member discussion.

Home ➔ How to Write an Essay ➔ Thematic Essay

Thematic Essay Guide

Thematic writing is a staple of high school English and college writing courses. The idea behind thematic writing is to create a piece that uses a theme to tie together different ideas or topics. Thematic writing can be used for essays, short stories, novels, and even non-fiction pieces. In academic writing, thematic essays often center on a specific issue or theme and develop that theme throughout the essay.

Thematic essays are often assigned in high school English classes and college writing courses. They are also found on standardized tests such as the SAT and ACT.

If you need to refresh your memory regarding general essay writing, check our detailed guide: How to Write an Essay

There are a few different literary devices that are often used in thematic writing. These devices can help create a more cohesive essay or story and can also help emphasize the theme.

One literary device that is often used in thematic writing is symbolism. Symbolism is when an object, person, or place represents something else. For example, in the novel The Great Gatsby, the character Daisy Buchanan symbolizes wealth and shallowness. In the story “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, the black box that is used for the lottery represents tradition and the blind following of rules.

Definition and Purpose

A thematic essay is an essay that requires you to write about a particular question or theme. Thematic essays are often written in response to prompts that ask you to discuss a specific aspect of a larger topic.

The main point of a thematic essay is to show the development of a theme throughout a work of literature or to compare the way different authors or works deal with similar themes.

Essentials of a thematic essay:

• must be focused on a central theme
• must develop that theme with specific examples from the text(s)
• must synthesize several elements of the text(s), including plot, character, setting, style, tone, etc.
• must not be a mere plot summary
• must use evidence from the text(s) to support your argument
• must be well organized, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion

If you want to learn more about essays in general, we suggest you read this guide: Essay Definition

Pre-writing stage

Before you write a thematic essay, it is important first to understand the prompt and Rubric . The prompt will ask you to write about a specific theme, such as “Justice in Othello.” The Rubric will outline the specific requirements for the essay, including things like length, formatting, and the inclusion of outside sources.

So, before writing a thematic essay, you should carefully read the prompt and think about what you want to write about. Make sure that you understand what the prompt is asking you to do.

Some tips for pre-writing:

• Brainstorm possible themes or ideas that could be related to the prompt.
• Choose a central theme or idea you are interested in and think you can write about persuasively.
• Come up with specific examples from the text(s) that you can use to support your argument.
• Make a list of the different ways that the overall significance of the theme or idea can be developed.
• Decide on the main point you want to make about the theme or idea.
• Organize your thoughts and develop a thesis statement.

Analyzing the prompt and developing a thesis statement

To write a thematic essay, you need to analyze the prompt first. You will need to identify the task that the prompt is asking you to do, and you will need to identify the main idea of the passage.

For example, a prompt might ask you to write about the use of symbols in a work of literature. To answer this prompt, you would need to identify the different ways that symbols are used in the text. You also need to determine what the author is trying to communicate using symbols.

Literary theme analysis prompt example ( TKAM ):

How does Harper Lee use the symbol of the mockingbird to explore the theme of innocence in To Kill a Mockingbird?

When analyzing this prompt, consider what the mockingbird symbolizes in the novel and how this relates to the larger theme of innocence. You might discuss specific characters who embody innocence, such as Scout or Atticus, and how the events of the novel impact them. You might also discuss the impact of innocence on the town of Maycomb as a whole.

One example of how Harper Lee uses the symbol of the mockingbird to explore the theme of innocence is through the character of Scout. Scout is a young girl who is innocent and naive in many ways. She does not understand the prejudice and hatred that exists in her community. However, she can also see the good in people, even when they are not perfect. The mockingbird symbolizes this innocence.

Your thesis statement can look something like this:

The symbol of the mockingbird in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is used to represent the innocence of characters like Scout and Atticus, as well as the innocence of the town of Maycomb as a whole.

Other examples of thematic essay topics:

• The Catcher in the Rye: How does J.D. Salinger use the character of Holden Caulfield to explore the theme of teenage angst and rebellion?
• Heart of Darkness: How does Joseph Conrad use the character of Kurtz to explore the theme of colonialism and its effects on the human psyche?
• All Summer in a Day: How does Ray Bradbury use the character of Margot to explore the theme of bullying and its effects on victims?
• The Great Gatsby: How does F. Scott Fitzgerald use the character of Daisy Buchanan to explore the theme of the American Dream?
• Metamorphosis: How does Franz Kafka use the character of Gregor Samsa to explore the theme of alienation?

Outlining your thematic essay

After you have analyzed the prompt and developed a thesis statement, you can begin to outline your essay .

Thematic essays usually have a standard structure and consist of five paragraphs. That typically requires you to include an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Each body paragraph should discuss a different aspect of your thesis. For example, if you need to write a thematic essay about the use of symbols in a work of literature, you might discuss how symbols represent different themes in the novel.

Your thematic essay outline might look something like this:

Introduction:

• Provide a brief overview of the work of literature you will be discussing
• Introduce the main idea or central theme that you will be discussing
• Thesis: The symbol of the mockingbird in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is used to represent the innocence of characters like Scout and Atticus, as well as the innocence of the town of Maycomb as a whole.

Body Paragraph 1: Symbols representing innocence

• The mockingbird symbolizes Scout’s innocence
• The mockingbird symbolizes Atticus’ innocence
• The mockingbird symbolizes the innocence of Maycomb

Body Paragraph 2: The loss of innocence

• Scout loses her innocence when she witnesses the trial
• Atticus loses his innocence when Mr. Ewell attacks him
• Maycomb loses its innocence when Tom Robinson is convicted

Body Paragraph 3: The importance of innocence

• Innocence is important because it allows people to see the good in others
• Innocence is important because it allows people to hope for a better future
• Innocence is important because it allows people to see the world in a more positive light

Conclusion:

• Restate your thesis statement
• Discuss the larger implications of your thesis statement
• Leave the reader with something to think about

You can also dedicate each body paragraph to one specific character or one specific event in the novel.

For example, you might discuss how Scout’s innocence is represented by the mockingbird symbol and how this innocence is lost when she witnesses the trial. In your second body paragraph, you could discuss how Atticus’ innocence is represented by the mockingbird symbol and how this innocence is lost when he is attacked by Mr. Ewell. In your third body paragraph, you might discuss how the innocence of Maycomb is represented by the mockingbird symbol and how this innocence is lost when Tom Robinson is convicted.

Writing the thematic essay

Once you have developed a clear thesis statement and created a thematic essay outline, you can begin writing. We complement each section with a thematic essay example part to better illustrate how it can look.

Introduction

The introduction of your thematic essay should briefly state what you will be discussing in your paper and provide background information. The introduction should also include your thesis statement, which is the main argument of your paper, at the end.

At the very start, you can also use a hook to grab the reader’s attention . A hook is usually a sentence or two that draws the reader in and piques their interest.

Introduction example of a thematic essay:

“Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” This quote, spoken by Atticus Finch, perfectly encapsulates the symbol of the mockingbird in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a novel about the loss of innocence. The symbol of the mockingbird is used to represent the innocence of characters like Scout and Atticus, as well as the innocence of the town of Maycomb as a whole. The loss of innocence is an important theme in the novel, and it is represented in the characters of Scout, Atticus, and Maycomb.

Body paragraphs

Your body paragraphs should each be dedicated to one specific character or event in the novel and start with a topic sentence . After the topic sentence, you should use evidence to support it. You must analyze the evidence, not just merely state it. Lastly, end your body paragraph with a conclusion and transition to the next section.

A thematic essay body paragraph example:

One example of the loss of innocence is Scout. When the novel begins, Scout is an innocent child who does not understand the ways of the world. “‘Don’t you ever do that again,’ I said. ‘Don’t you ever do that again, it’s bad enough having Jem tell on me without you adding to it.’” (Lee 9). Scout is chastised by her father, Atticus, for fighting with her cousin, Francis. In this quote, Scout does not understand why fighting is bad and must be scolded by Atticus. However, by the end of the novel, Scout has learned the true evil that exists in the world and has lost her innocence. “It was then that I finally understood Mrs. Dubose’s courage, not because she had won, but because she had had the courage to fight and the strength to lose.” (Lee 281). Scout has come to understand that even though Mrs. Dubose lost her battle with addiction, she was still brave for fighting it. Mrs. Dubose’s courage has taught Scout that even in the face of defeat, there is still hope. Scout has lost her innocence because she has learned that the world is not a perfect place and that people are not always good.

Check our citation guide to learn more about using quotes in essay: How to Introduce a Quote

Your concluding statement should sum up the main points of your thematic essay and rephrase your thesis (restate it in different words). You can also discuss broader implications or give your opinion on the topic, but don’t add any new information.

A conclusion example of a thematic essay:

To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel about innocence—the loss of it, the destruction of it, and the fight to keep it. The characters of Scout, Atticus, and Maycomb all represent different aspects of innocence, and the novel explores how they each deal with the loss of their innocence. Scout loses innocence when she learns that the world is not perfect and people are not always good. Atticus loses his innocence when he realizes that sometimes the justice system does not work as it should. Maycomb loses its innocence when it is revealed that racism and prejudice are alive and well in the town. The loss of innocence is a sad but inevitable part of life, and To Kill a Mockingbird shows us that this loss can sometimes be for the better.

Final tips on thematic essay writing

Now that you know the main steps involved in the writing process of a decent thematic essay, here are some of the final tips and key takeaways that you should keep in mind when doing this task:

• Make sure to brainstorm first and develop a good thesis statement that will guide the rest of your essay.
• Create a thematic essay outline before starting to write the essay itself. This will help you stay on track and not miss any important points that you want to include.
• Start each body paragraph with a topic sentence that introduces the paragraph’s main point.
• Use concrete and specific examples to support your points.
• Pay attention to your grammar and spelling.
• Make sure to conclude your thematic essay in a strong way that ties everything together.
• Analyze the work, not just summarize it.
• Take your time, and don’t rush the essay.
• And lastly, proofread your work before submitting it.

By following these tips, you should be able to write a thematic essay that will impress your teacher or professor.

• Solano Community College – World Literature
• Jefferson State Community College – Literary Theme Analysis

Was this article helpful?

• Essay Guides
• Other Essays

How to Write a Theme Essay

• Speech Topics
• Basics of Essay Writing
• Essay Topics
• Main Academic Essays
• Research Paper Topics
• Basics of Research Paper Writing
• Miscellaneous
• Chicago/ Turabian
• Data & Statistics
• Methodology
• Admission Writing Tips
• Admission Advice
• Other Guides
• Student Life
• Studying Tips
• Understanding Plagiarism
• Academic Writing Tips
• Basics of Dissertation & Thesis Writing

• Research Paper Guides
• Formatting Guides
• Basics of Research Process
• Admission Guides
• Dissertation & Thesis Guides

Table of contents

Use our free Readability checker

A thematic essay is a type of writing assignment that focuses on a specific theme or topic. It requires you to identify a central theme, discuss it in detail, and make connections between various facts. Your main goal is to demonstrate understanding and interpretation of the given subject matter. This type of essay is commonly used in literature classes or history exams.

If you’ve got an assignment to write a theme essay, you might wonder where you should even start from. No worries, we’ve got you covered here! The first thing you must know about this specific type of paper is that it aims to analyze a certain well-known theme and make an interesting statement about it. Here, you must explain meaning and relevance or complexity of your topic. You should summarize details that support your conclusion. In this article, we will conduct a detailed review of theme essay concept. We will also provide you a step by step guide on how to write a proper one. Let's dive right into it!  

Thematic Essay Definition

Let’s start with defining what is a thematic essay and its purpose. In this type, one should select a thesis and form unique statement related to its aspects. You should write about it, explaining or elaborating to your audience the following:

• How is your statement related to your topic?
• Which important or interesting aspects does it highlight?
• What approaches and literary devices are you using for analysis ? How do you explain your general theme? This can be comparison, metaphor, personification etc.

When composing such an essay, you must formulate and defend your statement. Here, you will demonstrate abilities of analysis and literary devices usage. At least several paragraphs would be needed to display such skills properly.

Thematic Essay Outline: What's Inside

The best way to begin is creating a theme essay outline for your topic. An outline should contain all key parts, concepts and ideas of your paper. You should put it in a sketchy but logical manner. This way you'll quickly prepare a shortened version of your assignment. It will also help you in reviewing it. Adding missing points and correcting significant mistakes would be easier at this early stage. Outline should include all main essay parts:  

• Introduction
• Thesis statement
• Body section
• Conclusion.

Keeping it brief, you should not provide complete sentences to describe your statements, ideas and arguments. A few words would suffice for each important point. Purpose is to make it readable for yourself! You should review it quickly and spot any inconsistencies.

How to Write a Thematic Essay Step-By-Step

Now it is time to focus on how to write a theme analysis essay – the complete text from scratch. Is your goal to impress readers and achieve a good grade? Then it is important that you create a proper essay structure template and don't lose any of your key questions! Stay methodical and keep it logical! Make sure your audience is engaged and don’t disappoint them in the end. Below we’ll provide a general idea for each step of this process.

Step 1. Define the Topic for Your Thematic Essay

When it comes to choosing among thematic essay topics, it is important that you pick an interesting and maybe even a controversial one. At the same time, make sure you can actually provide some meaningful input about it. Your assignment should impress readers with detailed analysis and its author’s writing skills. That's why your chosen topic must provide enough material for that.  There is a diverse choice of topics. Choose the one you are really interested in whether it is  Bullying essay  or  Happiness essay . If you need some ideas for great essay topics, feel free to check out our other articles.  

Step 2. Create a Thematic Essay Outline

We've already covered the main points of theme essay outline concept. When writing it, include all the main parts of your future work. Keep it as short as possible, one paragraph per each key point will be enough. It isn’t even necessary to describe everything with complete sentences! A few words would suffice. Once done, review it first and make necessary corrections. It is advised to review an outline several times. That's how any noticeable gaps or mistakes would be spotted early.

Step 3. Start a Thematic Essay with a Hook

A good thematic essay introduction ought to captivate readers right from the start. That’s why it is always advised to add some ‘hook’ into it. You can begin with an unexpected statement, use wordplay or a plot twist. Then you can explain this in the main body part. This way your audience would be interested to hear those explanations. As a result, your paper will have better chances of success. Apart from that, introduction should contain the main statement and some information about its content.  

Step 4. Write Body Paragraphs for Your Theme Essay

Goal of thematic essay body is to answer all the questions stated in an introduction. You must elaborate the meaning of each key idea. Finally, display your usage of literary devices, as we’ve specified earlier. Common practice is to use at least one paragraph per a literary device disclosure. Besides, the main body is the right place to use all relevant sources that can support your analysis or provide you with helpful analogies. Keep the main body logical, so that every paragraph is somehow connected to the previous and the next ones.  

Step 5. Create a Thematic Essay Conclusion

A strong thematic essay conclusion should highlight all important points from tyourhe essay while avoiding adding new facts or evidence. Just restate your thesis, answer all questions and summarize your arguments. It might be also useful to leave some final note for readers with some deeper analysis of your topic. You can also highlight the need for further exploration of the chosen theme and thus to prepare readers for your future works on this topic.  

Step 6. Proofread Your Thematic Analysis Essay

After completing theme essay, it is highly recommended to review it thoroughly, even several times if possible. The goal is to find mistakes and to spot logical gaps or missing details. Even best essays typically have inconsistencies left at the early stage. Taking a fresh look at your text often reveals some issues. If possible, ask your friends or colleagues to review your text. They might notice something you could not.  

How to Format a Thematic Essay

When it comes to thematic essay format, you need to find out what are the requirements in your assignment or which format is common in the institution you will be presenting your essay for. In case no special requirements were made for you, just choose one of the most popular formats for scholarly papers:  

• APA paper format : typically used in natural sciences, education and psychology fields
• MLA: typically used for works in humanities
• Chicago: typically used in business, history, and fine arts fields.

Thematic Essay Example

Let’s illustrate the explanations above with a few theme essay examples. We’ll provide some real ones here so that your every question would be answered. Hopefully you’ll find some inspiration in these examples for your own winning paper! The examples can be found below. Please scroll down to find them.  

Thematic Essay: Final Thoughts

In this article we have explored the theme essay concept in detail. Its central purpose and main definition were examined and a step by step guide for writing a strong one was suggested. We’ve also provided a few working examples for your convenience. Hopefully, all this information will be useful for your scholarly endeavors!

Feel free to check out our  paper writing services ! We’ve got a team of skilled writers with expertise in different literary areas, ready to help you. They deliver high quality content, always on time.  

Frequently Asked Questions About Theme Essay

1. what is the thematic statement.

A thematic statement typically takes the place of a thesis in a thematic essay. It consists of 1-2 complete sentences that express a theme which you have chosen for your work. This statement must convey the main message and also show what analysis will be done. It should be brief however as most of the details are to be provided in the main body.

2. What is the goal of thematic essay?

The thematic essay goal is to express an idea or some insights about the surrounding world and to change readers' minds about certain issues. As an author, you are expected to illustrate the team, provide all necessary explanations and conduct an analysis if needed. Besides, you typically should demonstrate familiarity with some literary interpretations and methods which are used to examine your theme.

3. How long should a theme essay be?

The minimum length of a theme essay is five paragraphs. One is for introduction, one for conclusion and remaining three for the main body. Of course, it can be more than that, depending on the depth of the theme that was chosen. The main rule is to keep your essay logical and concise, avoiding adding too many details. Otherwise your audience might get tired and the effect produced by your writing would be damaged.

4. What is a thematic essay history?

Thematic essay (history class) should be written to analyze some historical facts or significance of specific literary pieces. A typical case is examining different aspects of a controversial leader from the past or a political event that has produced a number of various important consequences. Or you might argue about a specific role of a certain book during a certain period or its influence on different nations or cultural groups.

Daniel Howard is an Essay Writing guru. He helps students create essays that will strike a chord with the readers.

You may also like

Thematic Essay: Guidelines for an A+ Paper

• Icon Calendar 8 August 2024
• Icon Page 6445 words
• Icon Clock 29 min read

Thematic essays are common writing assignments in college across all disciplines. Basically, this guide begins with a definition of a thematic essay and its format and provides examples of topics and papers for illustration. Further on, this manual deconstructs a specific process of writing a thematic essay. Moreover, a presented guide covers three core stages of thematic essay writing: preliminary actions, establishing a paper’s foundation, and writing. In turn, a working manual presents an outline template and an example of a thematic essay to demonstrate a real writing situation where a student implements these guidelines of thematic paper writing correctly. Finally, a discussed guide presents information on what people can include in their theme essays and common mistakes to avoid. Hence, students need to learn how to write a good thematic essay and excel in their academic endeavors.

General Aspects

A thematic essay is a form of academic writing that requires an author to react to a particular question or theme. In this case, instructors expect students to develop a written reaction to a question or theme by connecting various pieces of information to reach a reasonable conclusion. Moreover, writing a thematic essay has a high demand for research and a critical examination of subtle relationships that exist between sources. Then, an entire research process yields a significant amount of information, which learners may use to generate numerous logical relationships that lead to rational inferences. Consequently, students may select any set of evidence with a clear, logical association provided that their central claim centers on a theme of interest.

What Is a Thematic Essay and Its Purpose

According to its definition, a thematic essay is a focused piece and type of writing that revolves around a specific theme, unique subject, or central idea. For example, the main purpose of writing a thematic essay is to analyze and understand underlying themes, concepts, or ideas presented in a given text, artwork, historical event, or any other subject of study (Kirszner & Mandell, 2024). Basically, such papers encourage critical thinking and comprehension by requiring students to make connections between a particular theme and various elements within a given subject, such as characters, settings, events, and symbols. Further on, this type of essay also aims to demonstrate people’s abilities to organize their thoughts coherently, present well-supported arguments, and engage with an assigned material on a deeper level (Campbell & Latimer, 2023). Moreover, these compositions often serve a particular educational purpose and help students to improve their analytical skills, writing proficiency, and ability to synthesize information. In terms of pages and words, the length of a thematic essay depends on academic levels and specific assignment criteria, while general writing guidelines are:

High School

• Length: 2-3 pages
• Word Count: 500-750 words
• Length: 3-5 pages
• Word Count: 750-1,250 words

University (Undergraduate)

• Length: 5-7 pages
• Word Count: 1,250-1,750 words
• Length: 10-15 pages
• Word Count: 2,500-3,750 words
• Length: 15-20 pages (or longer, depending on a complexity of a chosen topic and depth of research)
• Word Count: 3,750-5,000 words (or more, depending on specific dissertation requirements)

Note: Some sections of a thematic essay can be added, deleted, or combined with each other, and such a paper typically ranges from 500 to 1,500 words, depending on academic levels and specific assignment requirements. For example, a standard format of a thematic essay includes an introduction with a single thesis statement sentence that covers a central theme, several body paragraphs that explore different aspects of a chosen topic with supporting evidence, and a conclusion that summarizes an entire analysis and reinforces a central claim (Campbell & Latimer, 2023). As such, a specific theme in an essay is a central topic or underlying message that a writer explores and analyzes throughout an entire text. In writing, a main point of a thematic essay is to analyze and interpret a central theme within a specific text or subject, demonstrating how it is developed and its significance (Laurens, 2018). Moreover, students need to write a thematic essay when they are assigned to analyze and interpret a central theme in a particular text or subject, often in literature, history, or social studies courses. In turn, a thematic way of writing involves focusing on a central theme or idea, exploring its various aspects through structured analysis and evidence, and connecting it to broader contexts or implications (Braun & Clarke, 2022). An example of thematic writing is an essay analyzing a particular theme of sacrifice in “The Hunger Games,” discussing how characters’ actions and an overall plot illustrate key sacrifices made for survival and freedom. Finally, to start a thematic essay, people begin with an engaging and interesting introduction that clearly presents a central theme, provides relevant background information, and states their thesis or main argument.

• Cybersecurity Laws: Are They Adequate in Combating Cybercrime?
• Historical Overview of Abortion Laws Across the Globe
• Examination of Mental Health Disparities Within the LGBTQ+ Community
• Facebook’s Data Privacy Controversy: A Deep Dive
• A Pure Democracy
• Privacy Rights in the Big Data Age
• Life in Prison and the Ex-Convict Experience
• Understanding the Impact of Social Media on Teenage Self-Image
• Cultural Factors Influencing Eating Disorders
• Racial Profiling and Its Impact on Modern Society
• Cultural Shifts in Privacy Perception Post-Social Media
• Major Parenting Issues of the 21 st Century
• Thematic Family Bonds in Immigrant Families
• Escaping the Cycle of Poverty
• Modern Interpretations of Shakespeare’s Female Characters
• Narrative Techniques in “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding
• Exploring Symbolism and Other Themes in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby”
• Embracing the Gothic: Examination of “The Castle of Otranto” by Horace Walpole
• A Thematic Significance of a Muse
• Corruption in 18th-Century Short Stories
• Female Authors Who Left a Mark on Classical Literature
• History of Cryptography and Its Modern Applications
• Racial Dynamics in the Harlem Renaissance: A Detailed Study
• The Impact of the Printing Press on Renaissance Europe
• Examination of Manifest Destiny’s Influence on Territorial Expansion
• Memories of the Holocaust
• Landmines on a Modern Political Landscape
• A Cause of a Collapse of Middle East Alliances in the 20 th Century
• Roles of Parental Attachment in Child Development
• Influence of Colors on Mood and Behavior
• Importance of Dream Analysis in Understanding Subconscious Thoughts
• Impacts of Sleep Deprivation on Cognitive Performance
• Teenage Confidence After a Thematic Emergence of Social Media.
• An Impact of Abuse on a Formation of Relationships
• An Efficacy of Proactive Counseling

How to Know

A student can readily identify a thematic essay topic because such a subject boldly pronounces a writing theme but does not hint at any specific point of view. In writing, the primary goal of a topic of a thematic essay is to inform readers of a specific theme rather than a particular approach of an author, which becomes more apparent in an introductory paragraph (Kirszner & Mandell, 2024). Specifically, a thematic essay topic does not allow students to develop a particular supposition concerning a theme because authors realize there may be multiple points of view concerning a main idea of a theme essay. In turn, to write a thematic essay, people develop a clear and well-formulated thesis statement, support this claim with detailed analysis and evidence related to a specific theme, and organize an entire content into a structured format with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Steps on How to Write a Thematic Essay

Step 1: Preliminary Actions

Defining a Thematic Topic

A particular ability of students to define a topic is dependent on an extent to which they understand essay rubrics and instructions. Basically, once learners receive thematic essay instructions, they should critically read their prompts to ensure they comprehend all demands of writing requirements. Then, writers should use keywords from their instructions to write one or more questions, which represent corresponding expectations of instructors (Campbell & Latimer, 2023). Based on developed questions, students can create a good topic that adequately captures a specific content of possible responses holistically. Moreover, authors must consider the information in given instructions, which establishes a particular leeway they have in a further selection of a topic, for example, choosing a theme not covered in-class readings.

Identifying a Purpose for Writing

A unique procedure of identifying a purpose occurs in two distinct stages: selecting a general goal and defining a specific purpose. Basically, authors may write a thematic essay to achieve two general purposes: explanation and persuasion. In writing, basic expectations of instructors influence a specific choice of a general purpose of a theme essay to a large extent (Laurens, 2018). As such, students should write a thematic essay on a book that deeply explores significant themes, such as “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, where an author addresses themes of racism, morality, and social justice. After learners pick a general purpose for writing a paper, they should create a specific purpose that shows a particular effect their papers must have on readers. Mostly, writers generate a specific purpose from questions that represent thematic essay instructions. In turn, a nearly determination of a main purpose is crucial because it affects a specific student’s approach to research and word choice during drafting.

Analyzing an Audience

Before writing a thematic essay, students need to determine key characteristics and expectations of readers. Basically, knowledge concerning crucial characteristics and expectations of an intened audience is valuable because writing allows authors to understand a specific interaction between defined characteristics and attitudes toward a topic, a readers’ level of expertise, and an actual significance of misconceptions, which aid in selecting an appropriate presentation approach. For example, a thematic essay in history is a paper that focuses on a specific theme or concept within a historical context, analyzing how this theme has influenced events, societies, or periods and providing evidence to support an entire analysis (Laurens, 2018). Specifically, learners can determine the most effective organization patterns, identify the best evidence, and employ an accepted documentation style. Moreover, students ensure a suitable level of explanation accompanies specialized writing terms that appear in a theme essay.

Generating and Writing Ideas

After learners define a main purpose and comprehend unique needs and traits of a target audience, they begin to develop ideas for an entire content of a thematic essay. Mostly, theme essay assignments for writing a particular subject focus on topics lecturers discuss in classrooms and other course readings (Kirszner & Mandell, 2024). Consequently, students may generate ideas through brainstorming based on the relevant information from a single unit and other related units they encounter during their schooling. During brainstorming, writers engage in idea mapping and clustering, which enables them to keep track of relationships between ideas.

Step 2: Establishing a Foundation for Writing

Searching for Sources

Author’s initial ideas regarding a topic act as a starting point for acquiring credible sources that support and refine those ideas. Basically, contemporary scholars engage in electronic searches to find useful and reliable sources for thematic compositions (Goddard et al., 2022). In this case, students should begin their search on a library’s website, which provides them with material that is reliable for academic writing. Further on, library search engines have complex filter functionalities, which make a particular process of searching for academic sources quite simple. Then, authors turn to open-web searches using Google Scholar or other public search engines that generate a significantly larger number of sources. However, some articles may not be accessible to students. Moreover, a particular burden of determining an overall reliability of sources falls on authors when they use open-web search engines (Naeem et al., 2023). In turn, students rely entirely on keywords or keyword combinations to generate working bibliographies.

Evaluating Sources Before Writing

Working bibliographies undergo an intensive evaluation process to establish whether they meet necessary quality standards for inclusion in writing a college-level thematic essay. For example, a main goal of a thematic essay is to analyze and interpret a central theme within a text or subject, demonstrating its development and significance through structured evidence and coherent argumentation (Campbell & Latimer, 2023). In writing, an evaluation process involves two primary stages: relevance determination and reliability test. During relevance determination, authors should examine each source by using three criteria:

• A level of attention that a specific source gives to a chosen topic.
• A suitability of a source’s sophistication to a particular purpose and audience’s needs.
• An impact of publication date on an actual relevance of its information.

Next, a reliability test investigates five critical writing aspects:

• An origin of a thematic source.
• A level of expertise of authors.
• Biases of a source in a context of existing literature.
• Availability and quality of given evidence supporting source’s claims.
• Objectivity in a presentation of author’s claims and handling of evidence.

Writing a Thematic Annotated Bibliography

At this point, a revised working bibliography now contains fewer sources that are relevant and reliable. In particular, students should engage in critical reading of all sources in a working bibliography to identify useful pieces of information they may incorporate into a theme essay. After reading each source, learners write an annotation that contains a summary of a source, ideas for using this source, and an assessment of this source (Kirszner & Mandell, 2024). Besides the three main elements of an annotated bibliography entry, writers may choose to mention specific pieces of evidence, which are the most significant contributions of a source to a thematic essay. Typically, they develop an annotated bibliography from notes they make as they read through a text.

Developing an Outline

Based on an annotated bibliography, students create an essay outline. Basically, a particular content of an annotated bibliography entry allows learners to develop relationships between sources, which is essential because such a paper begins to shape an essay structure. In this case, writers identify and group sources that support a general point, which splits a body of a thematic essay into discernible sections (Laurens, 2018). Then, authors break down each general point into specific points that can exist as a body paragraph and assign appropriate sources to individual body paragraphs. Furthermore, scholars logically organize particular points and establish some form of flow within each section of a body paragraph. In turn, they document an overall organization of general and specific ideas and a distribution of evidence in a list, like a format that allows for easy identification of hierarchy.

Step 3: Writing a Thematic Essay

Designing a Working Thesis

A student develops a working thesis statement, which presents his or her central claim. For example, to write a thesis for a thematic essay, people clearly state a central theme and outline main points they will discuss to demonstrate how this topic is developed and its significance (Campbell & Latimer, 2023). Basically, questions that writers derive from assignment instructions and specific minor arguments listed in a thematic essay outline are main pieces of information they use to generate a thesis statement. Initially, writing a working thesis statement may appear as a simple combination of individual responses to assignment questions in a context of given information that forms an outline (Laurens, 2018). However, authors must unite individual answers under a specific inference that demonstrates a real significance of writing a thematic essay. Besides, a working thesis statement undergoes multiple revisions, which occur randomly during a writing process. In turn, some examples of sentence starters for beginning a thematic essay are:

• In [text/work], [author/creator] vividly explores a specific topic of [topic], revealing how this theme shapes unique characters’ actions and an overall narrative through … .
• A profound theme of [theme] is central to [text/work], as [author/creator] uses various literary devices to highlight its significance and impact on an entire plot, including … .
• After reading [text/work], it becomes clear that [theme] is not only a recurring motif but also a driving force behind characters’ developments and an unfolding of events, particularly through … .
• Throughout [text/work], a particular exploration of [theme] is paramount, with [author/creator] skillfully using [specific elements, such as symbolism or imagery] to underscore its importance in … .
• A unique theme of [theme] is clearly covered in [text/work], as [author/creator] employs [literary techniques] to examine its various dimensions and its influence on … .
• By focusing on a theme of [theme] in [text/work], [author/creator] provides a deep and complex analysis of [specific aspect], shedding light on its broader implications for … .
• A pervasive presence of [topic] in [text/work] is evident from an outset, with [author/creator] using [specific examples] to illustrate how this theme permeates an overall narrative and affects characters’ journeys … .
• In [text/work], an interesting topic of [theme] is explored through a complex approach, where [author/creator] implements [specific elements], offering a comprehensive understanding of its role and significance … .
• An intricate depiction of [topic] in [text/work] serves as a valid foundation for [author/creator]’s exploration of [specific aspect], highlighting how this theme influences a story’s progression and characters’ experiences … .
• Through a lens of [theme], [author/creator] in [text/work] shows a complex use of [specific elements], providing readers with a deeper appreciation of its impact and underlying messages conveyed … .

Reviewing an Outline

Once an author writes a working thesis statement, a person subjects an informal outline to a revision that results in a particular creation of a formal outline for a thematic essay. Basically, body paragraphs of a thematic essay are building blocks for a central claim. Consequently, learners must review an informal outline to ensure there is an apparent logical build-up to the inference, which they announce in a written thesis statement (Kirszner & Mandell, 2024). During this review, students focus on a standard organization of minor arguments to ensure body paragraphs contain a single minor idea while maintaining a rational relationship with other body paragraphs. Moreover, writing a formal outline contains a systematic arrangement where information with the same level of significance or roles has identical indentation or numbering.

Selecting Correct Sources for Writing

Based on writing a formal outline, students make a final assessment of sources for each body paragraph. In particular, a formal outline contains some changes in its organization and the framing of minor arguments of a thematic essay (Campbell & Latimer, 2023). As such, these changes may affect the relevance of sources to each body paragraph’s argument. Then, a subdivision or merging of minor arguments may cause some sources to become inadequate because they do not extensively cover new minor ideas. Therefore, writers should check an overall suitability of each source to arguments it supports to ensure each source provides strong, relevant, and accurate evidence before commencing a drafting process.

Drafting a Thematic Paper

During a drafting stage, authors expand a thematic outline into a complete paper by changing statements and brief notes into coherent paragraphs. Basically, there is no fixed approach to drafting a thematic essay because students may start writing at any point by using a formal outline (Kirszner & Mandell, 2024). Nonetheless, it is an excellent practice for learners to begin drafting from a paragraph they understand the best because such a strategy ensures they waste very little time trying to overcome a particular fear of creating a first draft. In turn, scholars should allocate adequate time for drafting.

How to Improve

Self-Critic

After completing a first draft, students undertake a self-conducted revision process, which involves rethinking and rewriting. Basically, such a process of revision focuses on a particular evaluation of the evidence and organization of body paragraphs to ensure they support a working thesis statement entirely (Campbell & Latimer, 2023). Further on, learners revisit a working thesis statement to refine its wording and a central claim it presents. Before starting a revision process, writers should take a break, which allows a human brain to reset and attain a higher level of objectivity while revising. In writing, a thematic statement is a unique sentence that expresses a central theme or underlying message of a text, summarizing an author’s main insight or viewpoint on a subject (Laurens, 2018). Moreover, scholars should use a checklist to reduce a risk of overlooking various crucial theme essay dynamics during individual revision.

Peer Review

An individual revision process identifies apparent flaws in content presentation, but numerous flaws may go unnoticed due to authors’ subconscious biases concerning their writing styles. As a result, students should subject their thematic essays to a peer review by a classmate, tutor, parent, or writing center staff (Laurens, 2018). In this case, learners should select a peer reviewer that best represents a member of the target audience. Moreover, authors may provide peer reviewers with a checklist to guide them through a revision process, especially if a person is not an expert editor. Then, students should assign adequate time to a peer review process to allow reviewers to carry out a revision task comfortably. In turn, once writers receive feedback from peer reviewers, they consider comments when making a final revision of a paper.

Clarity and Effectiveness

A first consideration in a editing process is an overall clarity and effectiveness of sentences in a thematic essay. Basically, authors should edit each sentence to ensure statements convey an intended meaning to readers. In this case, it is advisable to focus on six clarity issues, which are the most common in writing theme papers: lack of parallelism, dangling modifiers, vague references to pronouns, incomplete sentences, and incorrect separation of sentences (Kirszner & Mandell, 2024). Besides clarity, learners should evaluate a particular efficacy of each statement separately and as part of a paragraph. In turn, an entire effectiveness of writing statements revolves around a smoothness of transitions, conciseness, variability in sentence structure and length, a distinctiveness of an author’s voice, and emphasis on core ideas.

Surface Errors

A subsequent stage of an editing process involves editing for thematic surface and documentation errors. In particular, students should strive to eliminate all surface errors because they divert a reader’s attention to meaning, although some writing errors do not necessarily change an actual meaning of sentences. For example, learners can edit surface errors by using six-item criteria: spelling errors, comma splices, sentence fragments, verb errors, punctuation errors, and pronoun errors (Campbell & Latimer, 2023). Moreover, students should not attempt to conduct clarity and effectiveness editing simultaneously with surface error editing, which may result in poor writing because of an extensive nature of rules governing the English language. In turn, the final step in editing a thematic essay is a correction of any documentation errors while referring to an appropriate style manual, such as APA, MLA, Chicago/Turabian, or Harvard.

Outline Template

I. Introduction

A. Hook sentence. B. Background information. C. Thematic thesis statement.

A. First body paragraph

1. A single idea for writing a first thematic paragraph. 2. Evidence supporting this paragraph’s claim. 3. Interpretation and analysis of evidence.

• First specific deduction from evidence.
• Second specific deduction from evidence.

4. A concluding statement that demonstrates a specific link between a first paragraph’s claim and a central thesis statement.

B. Second body paragraph

1. A single idea for writing a second thematic paragraph. 2. Evidence supporting this paragraph’s claim. 3. Interpretation and analysis of evidence.

4. A concluding statement that demonstrates a specific link between a second paragraph’s claim and a central thesis statement.

C. Third body paragraph

1. A single idea for writing a third thematic paragraph. 2. Evidence supporting this paragraph’s claim. 3. Interpretation and analysis of evidence.

4. A concluding statement that demonstrates a specific link between a third paragraph’s claim and a central thesis statement.

III. Conclusion

A. Restatement of a central thesis statement written in a thematic essay. B. Summary of three minor arguments mentioned in body paragraphs. C. Closing remarks emphasizing an actual significance of a central claim in a unique context of three minor arguments.

Commentary on a Thematic Outline Template

Identifying a Central Theme

Any audience can determine a central theme of a thematic essay from a thesis statement or an overview of topic statements. Basically, writing a well-composed thesis statement must explicitly mention a central theme or implicitly hint at a central theme. Alternatively, an audience can read through topic sentences and correctly speculate a central theme of a thematic essay because minor arguments in individual body paragraphs are building blocks of a thesis statement (Laurens, 2018). However, a reader’s ability to identify a central theme from a formal outline is dependent on their pre-existing knowledge concerning a topic because an outline uses statements and annotations with little explanation.

A thematic essay stands out from other types of essays because of a high level of freedom writers enjoy during authorship. During a writing process of a theme essay, authors can choose any purpose or a combination of purposes to use in different sections of 5 parts of an essay, which is a luxury that argumentative and expository papers do not extend to writers (Campbell & Latimer, 2023). Further on, essay instructions for writing a thematic essay tend to define a broad scope for research, which implies authors may develop a wide variety of arguments. In turn, an expansive nature of a subject of a paper is not present for argumentative essays, which forces students to choose one of the two sides of a controversial issue.

Introduction

An introduction section is a first part of a thematic essay, which consists of three main elements: hook, background information, and thesis statement. For example, a hook is a first statement of any paper that plays a crucial role in capturing an audience’s attention through creative wording, which gives them a reason to read an entire paper (Kirszner & Mandell, 2024). Since students know how to write a hook, they provide the essential background information that readers require to understand a thesis statement. Moreover, the background information element does not have a fixed length. Instead, it is dependent on a complexity of a thesis statement and an overall length of a thematic essay. As a result, writing a thematic thesis statement is a final item of an introductory paragraph. In turn, a standard length of introductions is approximately 10% of an essay’s word count.

Body Paragraphs

Topic Sentence

A topic sentence contains a minor claim that an author discusses within a paragraph. For example, its primary role is to establish content boundaries, which ensures students focus on a particular idea in each paragraph (Laurens, 2018). Moreover, a topic statement should present a minor argument and mention a relation that such a sentence has to a central idea of writing a thematic essay or make a tacit suggestion of its link to a main thesis. Therefore, writers should avoid a particular use of in-text citations in a topic statement because it implies an idea is not original.

After a topic sentence, students unveil the evidence that supports their claims. In college writing, an in-text citation should accompany any evidence learners introduce into a thematic essay to direct readers to its origin (Kirszner & Mandell, 2024). Moreover, learners should rely heavily on summary and paraphrasing in their writing, as opposed to direct quotations from sources. Nevertheless, some theme essay instructions may specify a particular technique writers must use when integrating evidence into a paper.

This element of a paragraph structure allows authors to explain an actual significance of the evidence to a paragraph’s argument. In this section of a thematic essay, students provide an interpretation of the evidence, which informs a target audience of a real meaning of the evidence in a particular context of a source text (Laurens, 2018). Then, they explain an actual value of the evidence in developing a reasonable justification for a single idea proposed in topic sentences. In turn, learners should avoid a particular inclusion of lengthy pieces of evidence because it creates a situation where a specific voice of sources is more dominant than an author’s voice.

Concluding Statement

A concluding statement emphasizes a logical relationship that exists between a topic sentence, evidence, evaluation, and thesis statement. In some cases, such s sentence may establish a specific relationship of a paragraph with a preceding paragraph (Campbell & Latimer, 2023). As such, students should ensure a concluding sentence of a paragraph does not contain a meaningless summary of key pieces of evidence. Then, a concluding statement of a thematic essay must not contain any new evidence because there is no opportunity to explain a particular contribution of the evidence in supporting a paragraph’s argument.

A concluding paragraph has three critical features: a restatement of a main claim, a summary of minor arguments, and closing remarks. Basically, an opening statement of a thematic essay reminds students of a central argument by using new words and syntax (Kirszner & Mandell, 2024). After an opening statement, learners summarize minor claims that appear in individual body paragraphs while maintaining a logical organization, which is identical to a particular arrangement of ideas in a body. Further on, authors write a strong closing statement that knits together an introduction, thesis statement, and minor claims to create a lasting impression on a target audience (Laurens, 2018). Moreover, students should ensure they do not introduce new evidence or arguments in a concluding paragraph. In turn, authors must not apologize for a lack of expertise on a topic or make absolute claims because it diminishes an overall efficacy of writing a good conclusion.

Thematic Essay Example

Topic: Recruitment of Terrorists

Terrorism is a global problem, which appears to be spreading despite an increment in the efforts to suppress its growth. Basically, a prevention of recruitment is a crucial counterterrorism strategy. Moreover, its efficacy is dependent on the understanding of key terrorists’ recruitment techniques. In turn, terrorist groups’ recruitment methods focus on a target’s identity crisis, which puts a potential member at risk of falling for an ‘appeal’ of terrorism.

An individual’s desire to be part of a movement that is effecting a radical change in society is a significant motivator for participation in terrorism. For example, recent studies show that terrorist groups begin conversations with most young recruits on social media platforms, which discuss topics concerning social, political, and economic oppression (Weisburd et al., 2022). Basically, this finding suggests young people in contemporary society have a desire to correct the ‘wrongs’ in society as a means of identity. Consequently, terrorists use an increased sensitivity to social injustices as a common ground to initiate and build a relationship with a prospective recruit. In turn, a youth’s strong desire to do something to stop social injustices that their respective governments ignore leaves them vulnerable to radicalization by terrorist groups.

Religious Beliefs

Fanatical religious belief may drive an individual to support or participate in terrorism for a sake of being part of a group. According to Alakoc et al. (2021), a constant pressure from religious parents causes a blind indoctrination of adolescents and young adults, which enables recruiters from terrorist groups to present religious concepts as justifications for terrorism, for example, the holy war. In this case, a mosque is an ideal site for a particular recruitment of terrorism because of a presence of youth with highly impressionable minds. Moreover, youths depend on teachings at places of worship for knowledge that defines their perspective of the world. As a result, terrorist recruiters disguised as spiritual leaders can easily nurture fanatical beliefs that endorse terrorist activities. Eventually, a feeling of separation from conservative believers pushes them to pursue groups that share their fanatical religious beliefs.

A loss of a family member to counterterrorism activities may act as a motivation factor for grievers who are trying to re-establish their identities because they no longer fit into traditional social structures. For example, Binder and Kenyon (2022) argue that recruiters prey on a particular pain of grieving family members by offering them retribution as a solution to an overwhelming feeling of incompleteness and using Internet platforms to achieve this objective. After a particular death of a family member, emotional turmoil increases an overall susceptibility of individuals to an idea that terrorist acts are an appropriate response to the ‘killers’ of their loved ones. Often, recruitment occurs during this unstable state and encourages an individual to relive a pain each day, which results in a permanent erosion of their former identity. Accordingly, grievers may find themselves as sympathizers of terrorism, which leads to active or passive participation.

Most members of terrorist organizations experience an identity crisis at the time of recruitment. Basically, a particular need to gain membership to a group that fights against social injustices tolerates fanatical religious beliefs or seeks revenge for a death of loved ones is a sign that identity crisis is a common characteristic in recruits. In turn, current counterterrorism initiatives should seek to break a cycle of recruitment, which will weaken terrorist groups.

List of References

Alakoc, B. P., Werner, S., & Widmeier, M. (2021). Violent and nonviolent strategies of terrorist organizations: How do mixed strategies influence terrorist recruitment and lethality? Studies in Conflict & Terrorism , 46 (12), 2598–2621. https://doi.org/10.1080/1057610x.2021.1935706

Binder, J. F., & Kenyon, J. (2022). Terrorism and the Internet: How dangerous is online radicalization? Frontiers in Psychology , 13 , 1–10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.997390

Weisburd, D., Wolfowicz, M., Hasisi, B., Paolucci, M., & Andrighetto, G. (2022). What is the best approach for preventing recruitment to terrorism? Findings from ABM experiments in social and situational prevention. Criminology & Public Policy , 21 (2), 461–485. https://doi.org/10.1111/1745-9133.12579

What to Include

Common Mistakes

• Lack of a Clear Thesis: Failing to present a clear, well-formulated, and concise thesis statement that outlines a main argument of a thematic essay.
• Biased Analysis: Providing a shallow analysis that does not cover a specific theme deeply or its implications.
• Ignoring a Theme: Straying from a central theme and including irrelevant information or tangents.
• Weak Evidence: Using insufficient or weak evidence to support claims, leading to a lack of credibility.
• Poor Organization: Lacking a coherent structure, making a thematic essay difficult to follow and understand.
• Repetition: Repeating same points or ideas without adding new insights or depth to an entire analysis.
• Grammar and Spelling Errors: Neglecting to proofread, resulting in numerous grammatical and spelling mistakes that undermine a paper’s quality.
• Inconsistent Tone: Shifting between formal and informal language, which disrupts a composition’s cohesiveness.
• Neglecting a Conclusion: Failing to provide a strong and logical conclusion that summarizes key points and reinforces a central thesis.
• Overgeneralization: Making broad, unsupported statements that do not accurately reflect a unique complexity of a chosen theme.

A thematic essay involves a structured approach to analyzing a central theme in a given text, requiring clear and coherent argumentation supported by evidence. Basically, its writing process includes several key steps: introducing a specific theme with a compelling hook and background information, formulating a precise thesis statement, and developing body paragraphs that provide detailed evidence and analysis supporting a central argument. Moreover, each paragraph should start with a topic sentence, include supporting evidence, and end with a concluding statement that ties back to a main thesis. In writing, a conclusion should restate a central thesis, summarize key points, and highlight broader implications of a chosen theme. Additionally, it is crucial to undergo thorough editing and peer review to ensure clarity, coherence, and correctness. Finally, common pitfalls to avoid include weak thesis statements, lack of organization, poor transitions, insufficient evidence, and unclear analysis. As a result, this structured writing approach helps to produce a well-organized and insightful thematic essay. In turn, some key takeaways to remember include:

• Students should define a narrow writing topic to guide them in generating ideas in response to a thematic paper prompt.
• Key characteristics and expectations of an intended audience are vital in determining an appropriate presentation approach.
• Before drafting a thematic essay, authors must write a formal outline and annotated bibliography, which are critical for organization and evidence selection.
• A particular maintenance of a high level of fluidity during drafting is critical because it allows writers to experiment with different styles of expression.
• Revision and editing are aspects of a writing process a student should not take lightly.
• All body paragraphs must adhere to a four-element paragraph structure.
• A conclusion paragraph of a thematic essay should not contain any new evidence or arguments.
• Learners must write a thesis statement that captures a specific theme instructors highlight in essay prompts.

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2022). Toward good practice in thematic analysis: Avoiding common problems and be(com)ing a knowing researcher. International Journal of Transgender Health , 24 (1), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1080/26895269.2022.2129597

Campbell, K. H., & Latimer, K. (2023). Beyond the five-paragraph essay . Routledge.

Goddard, Y. L., Ammirante, L., & Jin, N. (2022). A thematic review of current literature examining evidence-based practices and inclusion. Education Sciences , 13 (1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13010038

Kirszner, L. G., & Mandell, S. R. (2024). Patterns for college writing: A rhetorical reader and guide . Bedford/St. Martin’s.

Laurens, A. (2018). How to theme: Understanding and analysing the connection between theme and story for writers and students . Inkprint Press.

Naeem, M., Ozuem, W., Howell, K., & Ranfagni, S. (2023). A step-by-step process of thematic analysis to develop a conceptual model in qualitative research. International Journal of Qualitative Methods , 22 , 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069231205789

To Learn More, Read Relevant Articles

Profile Essay: Guidelines for an A+ Paper

• Icon Calendar 18 September 2020
• Icon Page 4518 words

670 Personal Essay Topics & Free Ideas

• Icon Calendar 16 September 2020
• Icon Page 6571 words

• Customer Reviews
• Extended Essays
• IB Internal Assessment
• Theory of Knowledge
• Literature Review
• Dissertations
• Essay Writing
• Research Writing
• Assignment Help
• Capstone Projects
• College Application
• Online Class

How to Write a Thematic Essay: The Complete Guide

by  Antony W

June 24, 2024

In this guide, you'll learn exactly how to write a thematic essay step-by-step.

Thematic essays, or theme essays, require you to really examine a literary object such as a book, journal, paper, or other art form and pick out the main ideas (themes).

You will then explain how these themes are brought on and what literary devices are used to do that.

Key Takeaways 

To write an outstanding theme essay, you should: 

• Select a literary work to base your thematic analysis on.
• Choose a primary theme.
• Identify supporting evidence and literary devices   used.
• Plan and outline the essay.
• Write the first draft.
• Edit and proofread your work for submission.

What is a Thematic Essay? 

A thematic essay is a one in which you identify the main idea (theme) expressed in a chosen literary object and explore how the writer of that literature chooses to address that theme through various literary devices.

The devices can be metaphors, hyperbole, imagery, allegory, and many others.

Writing a thematic analysis essay is a great way to learn how to pick out themes in the literature you read as well as how to improve your writing skills.

A thematic essay will be at least five paragraphs long , but usually longer depending on the complexity of the work being reviewed.

You can write a thematic essay based on a book, a speech, a magazine article, a video, audio, or any other art form.

Choosing a Theme for a Thematic Essay 

Choosing the main idea or theme of such a work is not a straightforward process.

It is highly subjective, and what you consider the main theme in a book may not be somebody else’s.

You have to make sure that what you pick as your main theme is fully supported throughout the book and makes significant appearances in most chapters, if not all of them.

How to Write a Thematic Essay Step by Step 

Writing a thematic essay is easy. You just have to: 

1. Choose a Literary Object

If your instructor does not provide the topic, think back to a book or article that made a strong impression to you, or think about your favorite pieces of literature.

Another option is to brainstorm. Brainstorming hardly fails, especially if you incorporate the help of your friends and even your instructor.

Collect different ideas and be sure to write each of them down, no matter how unlikely they sound. From there, eliminate most of these the following criteria:

• The topic should be interesting and captivating. Avoid those that are too common and overly used in academia unless you can provide a fresh twist or insight.
• The topic needs to have one or more important themes running through.
• It should be a literary work that is relatively well known and in the public domain.
• Some of the shorter works are best because they guarantee your essay won’t be too long.

This process will likely leave you with one or two possible topics, but make sure to confirm with your instructor that what you choose to focus on is acceptable.

2. Find a Relevant Theme

A theme is a significant idea that recurs throughout the literary work you have chosen. You can think of it as the main message the author is trying to pass across. 

There are major and minor themes differentiated by how much attention the author gives to each.

For the best outcome, your theme should be one of the major themes addressed throughout the work.

There are a few things you can do to figure out what major themes are present: 

• As you read the work, note and write down what tone, setting, language styles, and characterization the writer is using.
• What is the plot of the book and what does it lead to? Think about what you would tell somebody else about the book.
• Identify who the protagonist (main character) is and what they represent. Do they change at all in the book? 

For example, in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch does not change and represents morality, love, fairness, and good reason to the end.

• Put yourself in the author’s shoes and observe from their point of view. What message do you think they want to pass on as the most important?

3. Pick Material for the Essay

Read through the book again with the main theme in mind.

See how the author plays with it, what literary devices are used to highlight their thematic approach, and write down all these for reference.

What you are doing at this stage is a literary analysis.

The tools in the author’s hands include character development, mood, setting, irony, allegory, simile, alliteration, symbolism, metaphor, among many others.

Think about how effective these tools are in shining the light upon the main theme. It helps to read between the lines as well because sometimes the most important thing is what the author leaves unsaid.

4. Planning: Thematic Essay Outline 

A thematic essay is very simple and straightforward. Like most essays, it will have an introduction, body, and conclusion.

Each of these parts should be considered carefully in the planning stage and map out which ideas will go where.

Introduction

The introduction serves to catch the reader’s interest, set the background, and mention what exactly you intend to discuss in the essay.

The first one or two sentences should be a hook, that is, a statement that will be intriguing enough to make the reader want to keep reading. It can be a clever observation, a surprising statement, or even a relevant question.

Second, provide a very brief background on which to build your essay.

However, you will be assuming that the reader has already read the literary work that is the subject of the essay. So you don’t have to give too much detail.

In winding up the introductory, write your thesis statement . This is a one-sentence statement that tells the reader what your essay is about.

However, don’t say it like this: “My thesis statement is ... “ Instead, let the introduction flow and link smoothly up to this point.

Body paragraphs

You will have three or more body paragraphs detailing your arguments about the main theme. In a thematic essay, each of the body paragraphs will be focusing on one literary device and how it is useful in presenting the theme message.

As with most essays, body paragraphs will follow the TEEL format. 

• Topic Sentence : The introductory sentence introduces the idea that the paragraph is about. Think of it as a mini-thesis statement. The rest of the paragraph will be explaining and supporting this one statement.
• Explanation:  Explain your topic idea clearly.
• Evidence : Give compelling evidence for your claims. It can be a quote, a direct observation, similar use of the same method elsewhere in the book, a citation from an authoritative work, etc.
• Link : Show how the idea you just described links with the rest of the essay and thesis statement. Again, you won’t say, “this idea relates to my thesis statement because …” Instead, let the whole paragraph flow smoothly and seamlessly.

The number of body paragraphs will depend on how much evidence you have collected. However, make sure to keep within the reasonable word count parameters as given by your instructor.

Recap the main arguments in your body and restate your thesis statement.

The purpose of the conclusion is to give your “take-home” argument, what you feel the reader should retain from the whole work.

Customize your theme essay outline accordingly; don’t make it as generic as this example here.

Fill it with details like what ideas you will include in your first paragraph, what your thesis statement will be, and what your introduction hook is. With this thematic essay format, you are now ready to do the write-up.

5. Write the Essay

With a good outline, writing a thematic essay becomes a piece of cake. You will simply be fleshing out the template.

6. Proofreading and Revision

Make sure to read through your essay at least twice.

Note how well your ideas flow, how the arguments and evidence presented link back to the thesis statement, and of course, clear any grammatical errors. 

Thematic Essay Writing Help 

If you don’t have the time to read your subject thoroughly and analytically, you can hire Help for Assessment’s  essay writing service .  We have a suitable writer that can help you get the assignment completed on time. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

1. how do you start a theme essay.

The introduction of your theme essay should be an intriguing hook about the subject you wish to discuss.

Ensure the hook is concise and strong enough to grab your reader’s attention.

2. What are the Elements of a Thematic Essay? 

The elements of a thematic essay are the introduction, body paragraphs, and the conclusion.

Ensure the introduction includes a thesis statement. The body paragraphs should support the thesis using relevant examples, evidence, and arguments.

Lastly, the conclusion should be logical enough to tie everything together at the end.

3. What is the Main Point of a Thematic Essay? 

The main point of a thematic essay is to identify themes from a source, present a theme statement, and address a specific issue within the requirement of the assignment. 

About the author 

Antony W is a professional writer and coach at Help for Assessment. He spends countless hours every day researching and writing great content filled with expert advice on how to write engaging essays, research papers, and assignments.

Project Types We Cover

• Admissions Essay
• PowerPoint Presentation
• Research Paper
• Book Reviews
• Personal Statement
• Ph.D Dissertation
• Proofreading

Academic Fields & Subjects

• Programming
• Computer Science
• Other projects we help with
• Our Experts
• Plagiarism Checker
• Writing Tips

How to Write a Thematic Essay

By: Tasha Kolesnikova

Thematic essays deal with major themes or topics in a society or a country. As a result, they allow students to become aware of what's going on and provide their voice. Additionally, the arguments presented in the essay may have significance in real life. Therefore, theme essays should be a part of every curriculum.

What is a Thematic Essay

Take help from your experience, make internet your best, guidance from other literature pieces, summarize the literature, pick the most prevalent subject, overall significance, tips for choosing the best themes for thematic essays, theme essay outline and draft, introduction, body paragraphs, proofreading and taking advice, belief systems, global regents thematic essay, literary theme paper example, thematic essay introduction example, thematic essay main body, theme essay conclusion.

Many students find the thematic essay definition a bit confusing. What does it mean for a written piece to be thematic?

Thematic essay

A theme essay is a type of writing that requires students to analyze and respond to a specific theme or central idea. It typically involves examining how the chosen theme is developed across multiple literary works, historical events, or other sources. The goal of a thematic essay is to demonstrate the writer's ability to identify, interpret, and articulate the significance of a theme, often drawing connections between different texts or contexts.

In this type of essay, you will be required to develop a central theme. Do you remember the words "foreshadowing , " "imagery," and "personification"? You will be using these to analyze the central theme of the piece of writing you have chosen. Along with the literary devices, you will be proving your interpretations and logical arguments. Let us now move to the outline that you must follow to develop an essay that surpasses your professor's expectations.

Thematic essays work with a social theme of importance. The author uses several literary techniques, like metaphors and imagery, to get across their point. Additionally, the author explores the theme in-depth and tries to make a general statement. They also highlight a specific issue that should be addressed, backed by the findings of the author.

Authors try to pick a theme that is relevant to society or the present. They may also present recommendations to deal with the issue for a better future.

Best of all, theme essays allow you to explore the different nuances of culture and society. Therefore, writing the essay also enriches the knowledge of the author.

Thematic essays are generally graded on rubrics.

Theme Essay Steps

To write an excellent thematic essay, choosing a theme plays a crucial part. For this type of essay, some college students tend to go with a vast theme, that shifts the entire paper's focus. On the contrary, some select a particular direction. This is problematic because finding information becomes challenging this way, So, how do you come up with an ideal topic? Here are a few ways you can tackle this challenge:.

As a student, you might have had opportunities of working on different types of essays. If you ever worked with a topic suitable for here, utilize it. By doing so, you will save time that would have been spent on additional research, and you will be more educated regarding the route to take. Find relevant notes, pull up saved links, anything beneficial for the essay.

Internet is an excellent source to get your ideal hands-on topics. If you lack the experience and are looking forward to coming up with a theme on your own, this is the next best alternative. However, make sure the topic you select has enough content on it. Also, the resources are authentic and credible.

List down the best literature pieces according to you. Next, skim through each of them. You never know; this might provide you enough inspiration to come up with your idea.

Pick a Central Theme

As stated previously, uncovering the central theme and main subject is the first building block of your thematic paper. Follow the steps below to prevent any mistake in the choosing process:

Identify what the author is trying to convey. Chances are, it will be repeatedly mentioned throughout. All you need to do is stay vigilant and not miss out on the hints that come along the way. It is no rocket science.

First, you need to understand the difference between a theme and a subject. A subject makes up the general topic on which the entire conversation is based. On the other hand, a theme is more of a specific point, and the author tries to establish the subject. This forms the focal point of your essay.

This will be the overall significance of academic writing. What can a reader take away from the essay? What can be applied to personal lives? In short, the lesson learned from this.

Count on your personal experience: A theme that resonates in your life will make the best essay . You are likely to go into depth as the issue affects your lifestyle.

Note down your ideas: Some ideas that come to your mind may seem useless. However, note down every idea, as they may seem important at the latest. Additionally, these trivial ideas can give rise to more relevant ones.

Explore contemporary literature: Reading current literature may give you ample ideas for thematic essays. Additionally, you can use the cues from their essays on themes to strengthen your arguments.

Stay updated on the latest trends: Themes that affect society don't stay the same. At one time, the industrial revolution transformed the world. However, it is not that relevant today in the world of artificial intelligence. Therefore, stay updated on the latest news and trends to choose the most relevant topics.

Look at issues that affect you: This is the best way to choose a topic for a theme essay. You are going to perform well if you take up a theme that impacts your daily life, like waste management.

Your aim has to be creative and vigilant while writing. This is important so that you do not miss out on crucial details. Thus, starting from a draft makes perfect sense. You will always need to go back and revise your work once you are done. Never consider your first copy to be your last. Outline and follow it throughout. A template is okay as well.

One critical piece of advice here is to keep checking your transitions and the flow of the essay. Often, students tend to treat each paragraph as a mini-essay and forget that they have to be cohesive with each other. Excessive wordiness and expression of emotion should be avoided. The tone while drafting this should be neutral. Do not be very formal or informal. It would help if you sounded respectful and sincere.

Thematic Essay Structure and Format

Essay outline should stick to a structure or format for the best results. It also allows the reader to get vital information quickly and gives your essay more importance.

Below is a format you can implement for your thematic essay:

An essay starts with an introduction . The first sentence of the thematic essay introduction paragraph should be as captivating and interesting as possible. It is your first chance to make a good impression on the reader and to catch their attention. This section should highlight background information and all the significant points of the essay. Try being strategic while devising this section. Use practical tools like a dash of humor or start by posing an engaging question. Stating a surprising and exciting fact is also an excellent way to encourage the readers to stay glued to your work. With that said, do not make this paragraph very lengthy. It has to be concise and deliver the main idea about your essay. The last line of your intro paragraph has to be a thematic thesis statement. This is the argument you will be proving throughout your essay. Therefore, don't change the wording of your hypothesis.

This is the essay's main body, where you will be conducting a detailed discussion of the novel's central theme or issue. You will be developing your argument, providing analysis, and supporting justifications. Remember that you shouldn't make baseless, sweeping statements, as it will weaken your stance and the overall quality of your writing. Keep a checklist of the main points so that you don't miss any. Subheadings can come in handy in a theme essay. They will make your content less cluttered. Keep all of the paragraphs of equal length. Start each one with a topic sentence and refrain from adding multiple ideas in a single thematic paragraph. This will help you produce a quality paper. You can find numerous samples of thematic essays on a writing service website. Please go through them in case you have any confusion.

You may use two, three, or four paragraphs in your body without any problems. However, don’t add unnecessary information to make your essay longer.

Your body should contain the following things, like a topic sentence. However, you should state only facts and refrain from presenting your own opinions. Additionally, you can mention names, dates, places, and other information backed by evidence.

Additionally, be descriptive about the points you are presenting in your essay. Moreover, analyze the facts to make the readers understand what you want to say.

Most importantly, evaluate the key points in detail. They will go a long way toward proving or disproving your hypothesis. Additionally, you should also give examples to elaborate on the points you are presenting in your essay.

One tip is to not overthink your theme thesis. Go over the examples you have included in your essay and pick the best one to explain your hypothesis.

Additionally, you should keep examples simple and use transitory phrases to ensure a smooth flow for a good thematic essay.

After discussing all of the points on how to write a theme paragraph, it's now time for a closing ceremony. Keep your essay conclusion crisp and short. Do not give additional arguments or add points that you might have missed earlier. Remember, it must be glued to your content. So, ensure that your content is smooth and has a logical conclusion at the end.

Moreover, your conclusion gives you the power to create robust arguments. You can bring logical closure to your essay and make your opinion stand out. However, don’t just state the themes again but focus on their analyses and impacts. Moreover, include all the vital arguments in your conclusion. You may even suggest steps to resolve the issue or provide recommendations.

After you are finished with the writing part, you will conduct a two-step reviewing and editing process. First, go through the content and make the necessary changes while cross-checking it with the rubric provided to you by your professor. Next, ask your classmate or a friend to read your essay about themes. Ask them if any part is lacking evidence or if you haven't made a point clear. You can also consult your teacher. They can guide you in case any primary or secondary argument is missing. Since they have read the material or will be familiar with the theme, they can also point out the areas you have forgotten or are worth discussing more. So, this phase is all about making your argument robust and paper detailed. Do not be shy or stingy when adding a lot of points. You can always go back and remove them. It is the "adding" part that is the hardest.

Here is a list that you should keep in front of you when you are done writing a thematic essay:

• Do not include text that is not make any contribution to your stance;
• Avoid using complicated words;
• Refrain yourself from exaggerating;
• Do not use long sentences;
• Do not submit your theme analysis essay without citing the work that you have used to make your argument stronger;
• Please do not submit the paper without reviewing it twice;
• Make sure that you have used the correct paper structure;
• Run your work through grammar and plagiarism checking software;
• Check the formatting.

Thematic Essay Topics - Choose the Themes Wisely

To give you some inspiration, here are some English thematic topics related to different subjects:

• Is the death penalty ethical? Should it be allowed?
• Can people carry handguns?
• Class fellows make a considerable impression on a child's success in school life.
• Childhood years are the most crucial years of a person's life.
• Video games are good for mental health.
• A person must always consult others for critical decision making.
• Is divorce a solution to marital problems?
• Women should stay at home and work.
• The role of a political system in a society.
• The changed meaning of philosophy.
• Can an individual control unconscious thinking?
• The roles of Men and Women in society.
• The role of Materialistic values in the modern era.
• Human rights in the 21st century.
• The issue of slavery in America.
• The era of civil war.
• Facts and events of the most critical century in American history.
• Industrialization in the US.
• Periods of the Cold War.
• Then vs. now: modern America.
• The US and the Muslim countries.
• US-Russia relations.
• International organizations.
• UN and USA.
• What is the main idea behind the poem "The Road not taken" by Robert Frost?
• Which themes did Bernard Shaw highlight in his novel "Arms and the man"?
• What does John Steinbeck mean when he talks about loneliness and isolation in Of Mice and Men?
• What are the themes highlighted in the novel "the great gatsby"?
• Harper Lee discusses "innocence" in the novel To Kill A Mockingbird; what does she mean by it?

Examples on How to Write a Theme Essay

Let’s say we have chosen the theme of working from home for our thematic essay. Therefore, your introduction will describe how remote working has become the norm across the world. You will cite statistics, like 70% of the global workforce wants to work from home for a few days of the week. Many companies have embraced a hybrid working model.

In addition, you will present your hypotheses, such as that working from home will stay even if the pandemic goes away. However, you should collect enough information and facts to prove your hypothesis and make it sound. A good theme essay example should thoroughly explain the topic.

Your main body should support your hypothesis. Therefore, it is necessary to present facts and figures that prove your point. For example, research shows that working from home can boost the productivity of individual employees.

Additionally, the workforce finds it easy to maintain an optimum work-life balance. Moreover, businesses also save on costs like overhead when they allow remote work.

Most importantly, remote work reduces the stress of daily commute to work. It also lets employees work at their convenience without compromising time.

With some research, you will find ample statistics to show the benefits of remote work.

The conclusion of your thematic essay provides an opportunity to sum up your arguments. You can express how remote working benefits both organizations and employees. Additionally, modern employees prefer flexible working models to balance work and life. These arguments show that working from home is a viable choice for businesses around the world. It can improve performance, reduce costs, and allow businesses to achieve their objectives.

Lastly, you may end your essay with the references you used to make your arguments. You should also use citations for numbers and figures in your essay based on your college’s requirements.

Now that you have gotten familiar with the themes and the essay outline, you will not spend hours on every step. Just drink some hot cocoa, open up this article, and get started!

User ratings:

User ratings is 4.7 stars.

4.7 /5 ( 5 Votes)

Content Writer

I studied sociology and marketing at Europa-Universität Viadrina (Germany) and Universidade da Beira Interior (Portugal). When I was a sophomore, back in 2018, I decided to put what I've learned into practice, so I got my first job in digital marketing. I currently work in the content marketing department at Studybay, building strong, effective, and respectful communication between the platform and our clients.

Add Your Comment

We are very interested to know your opinion

Upgrade your writing skills!

Try our AI essay writer from Studybay today!

How to write a top-grade Thematic Essay

When assigned to write a thematic essay, you ought to understand what it is, how to approach it, and how to put every aspect of it on paper finally. You will most likely be assigned to write a thematic essay in high school, college, and university. Instead of getting confused, as most students do, you can use this quick guide and learn how to write a thematic essay quickly and seamlessly.

Remember, a thematic essay entails developing the central theme in literature, using specific literary devices. This guide will teach you the steps to take, identify a central theme, and some helpful tips when writing thematic essays. You will also have some topic suggestions and advice.

Without wasting time, let us delve deeper into it.

What is a thematic essay?

A thematic essay is a category of essay that involves the creation of a major literature theme using literary devices such as imagery, personification, and metaphor, among others. The writer expresses the importance of the themes in the essay .

However, the common challenge in a thematic essay is that every writer interprets the main theme from their perspective. Therefore, an ideal thematic essay should consist of logical arguments that are justified through literary devices.

The fundamental role of a thematic essay is to unwarp the major subject discussed. As a student, you are required to use facts, evidence, and examples obtained from a secondary and primary source.

You should connect the various facts to the main subject of your essay to demonstrate logical arguments in your essay.

How to write a good thematic essay in simple steps

One major challenge for students writing a thematic essay is that they have to identify a central theme. Apart from that, your thematic essay should also have logical arguments backed by evidence, examples, and illustrations that are based on literary devices.

Step 1: Read the essay prompt

The essay prompt provides information about the issue or the topic to be discussed in the essay.

Reading the prompt is significant in inspiring your response in essay form, which is critical in your reasoning and analytical skills.

Moreover, reading essay prompts is important in informing the writer about what is expected in the thematic essay.

Step 2: Choose the text you are going to use

  It is important to gather the sources you will use in your essay writing before embarking on writing.

The texts include literature abstracts, discussions, or other texts that support your theme. Therefore, it is vital to gather the texts properly.

You should ensure that your chosen text contains facts or examples supporting your essay theme.

Step 3: Take notes as you read

As an essay student, taking notes will influence your attention to decide the key literary devices to apply in your essay. 

Choosing relevant sources that entail comprehensive literary devices that support your theme is vital as you make notes.

Step 4: Determining the central theme

Determining the central theme is one of the vital steps of thematic essay writing. The central theme is the basic component of your essay. It defines the essence and scope of the essay . It also defines your angle of analysis .

Therefore, it is significant to determine the central theme of your essay. We will provide hints later in this article on identifying central themes. It is vital to have the hints at your fingertips as a student.

Step 5: Craft your essay thesis

After determining your main theme, it is vital to develop your essay thesis. Your essay thesis is fundamental in summarizing the points that will be discussed in your entire thematic essay.

This thesis will be posted at the end of the introduction paragraph; your essay thesis should clearly define the central idea to be discussed in your essay.

Consequently, every component of your essay can relate to your essay thesis. The following tips can help you to craft your essay thesis:

• Construct a question. To craft your essay thesis, you can begin by considering the questions provided. However, if not provided, you can develop your individual question. What can you decide or like to explore on the topic?
• Write your first answer. After researching, you can construct a temporary answer to your question. This is a simple task because it controls the writing and researching process.
• Construct your answer. After writing your answers, you need to consider that you will use your answer to co-compel your readers of your essay. Reading extensively concerning the topic will give your more details about your answer and assist you in developing further.

Step 6: Write body paragraphs

Writing the body paragraphs follows the introduction in thematic essay format. The body paragraph should convey the purpose of the essay and utilize literary devices that are used as evidence; each literary paragraph should consist of literary devices.

The topic sentences are introduced to provide a gateway and claim of the evidence. Each topic sentence is linked to a literary device and its connection with the literature.

After writing your topic sentence, you are required to justify your claims. You can use secondary sources to strengthen your point of reasoning through facts, figures, and examples. You can use questions or plots related to your essay's main theme.

It is crucial to prove how the quotes or plots link to the thesis statement of your essay. It is also important to note that every claim should apply the literary device. Thematic essays rely on applying literary devices to improve the thesis statement.   

Step 7: Write a captivating introduction

The introduction summarizes your approach and understanding of the answer to your essay question. It is critical in revealing what you intend to discuss in your essay and how you evaluate the theme.

To write a captivating introduction in your thematic essay, your initial stamen in the introduction paragraph should hook the reader through an intriguing claim concerning the topic.

This will attract the reader's attention and provide required background information that assists your audience to comprehend the essay claims later. Moreover, writing a captivating introduction is vital in conveying a well-framed thesis statement that reveals the novel central theme.

Step 8: Write a powerful conclusion

The conclusion marks the end of the thematic essay. When you write your conclusion, you should ensure it completes the essay before wrapping up the whole paper. It should include new information not discussed in the essay's body.

To write an effective conclusion as a student, you need to start by reinstating the thesis statement differently from how you stated in your introduction. Then, summarize your logical arguments on the central theme in the body paragraph.

To end your essay. Provide a final concluding statement that analyzes the topic. You should ensure that you leave your audience with a hook making them interested in exploring the topic. 

Step 9: Format, edit, revise, and proofread the essay

After writing your thematic essay to a conclusion, it is vital to check the format of your essay and adjust any necessary items as required by your professor's instructions before submission. 

You should confirm and double-check your central themes to match your essay requirements. Finally, peruse through your entire essay and edit any mistakes should note that grammatical mistakes will irritate your readers.

Therefore, it is critical to clean up all mistakes to make the essay attractive to the reader. Revise the paper to ensure that the essay is well-edited and efficient.

Proofread your essay to remove any possible mistakes. Proofreading can also assist you in changing the sentence structure to help polish your essay further. Moreover, it can help in eliminating mistakes from the paper.

Generally, as an essay student, you should ensure that your essay is in the correct format, well-edited, revised, proofread, and free from grammatical mistakes before submission.

How do you pick an excellent thematic topic?

Selecting an excellent thematic topic is one of the crucial aspects of thematic essay writing. The following guidelines help pick an excellent thematic topic:

• Brainstorm. Remember anything you discussed with your parents, friends, or teachers. Do the conversations link to some novel, book, or literature writing?
• Write the ideas that you can recall . Usually, the ideas that come first in your mind are the best ones to build on.
• List the best literature . Ask yourself about the most touching piece of writing to you. Then, evaluate the subject and the author's challenges in the literature developed in the story. This can help you to develop your ideas.
• Select a convincing theme . You should understand your expected audience and provide strong ideas to engage them as ordinary readers. Considering things that can engage your audience can assist you in coming up with a central theme in your essay writing.
• Refer to other pieces of literature. Using your professors' materials can assist you in coming up with the main theme of your essay. In addition, reading the material provided or suggested by your professor can give hints of an appropriate theme that you can discuss in your thematic essay.
• Get the Perspective. Sometimes to come up with the major theme, you will be required to consider the advantages and disadvantages of issues ad consider one perspective that can lead to a major theme to use in your essay.
• Consider social issues. A thematic essay is often linked to social problems that affect human life. Therefore, to develop a compelling theme as an essay writer, you need to analyze the social issues and select one that is appropriate to develop the main theme in your essay.

Related: How to make a good essay outline

How to identify the central theme in a text

 As discussed before. Unwrapping the major subject and the main point are the fundamental steps in writing a thematic essay. However, sometimes it is cumbersome to interpret the central theme effectively due to numerous aspects that run within the literature Coming up with a central theme is one of the significant approaches in thematic essay writing. The steps provided below can assist you in coming up with an appropriate theme.

• Condense the literature: consider the major idea that the author is conveying. There are many hints about the literature summary. As a writer, you should choose the hints that are effective and less challenging
• Pick a common subject: As an essay writer, it is vital to identify the difference between subjects. A subject is regarded as a general topic; it can be deception, love, or bravery. However, there is a specific point that is derived from the subject. Therefore, identify a common talking point and make it the focal theme of your essay.
• Read the central point: interpret the major idea that the author was delivering upon getting the subject. You will become more apparent as you explore the frequent examples and clues in the literature.
• Overall significance : you should consider the importance of the author�s point. Identify what can be retrieved and applied in personal lives. Generally, this will drive you to ask the lesson that can be derived from the literature. 

Comprehensive Outline for a Thematic Analysis Essay

As an essay writer, your main objective is to be creative when writing your essay to include all crucial details. Consequently, beginning your essay with the outline is vital for thematic essay writing.

Your outline should note that all things contained in the draft do not necessarily form your final piece of writing. Nevertheless, an outline is significant in guiding you throughout your work.

As a writer, you should make sure that you check the flow of your essay. You can achieve this by checking how you use transitions.

In many instances, students tend to treat every paragraph as a mini-essay without linking one paragraph to the other. This aspect leads to an essay that is incohesive and is not flowing.

Also, students should refrain from emotional expression and wordiness to prevent irritation of the reader. When drafting your essay, you should ensure that you are neutral in the sense that you should refrain from being informal or formal. It would assist you to sound sincere and respectful.

A thematic essay outline is meant to guide the writer without mistakes throughout the writing process. Additionally, an outline is crucial in preventing the writer from getting stuck during the writing process. In most cases, the outline of a thematic essay follows a 5-paragraph structure that consists of an introduction, 3-body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Some students think that writing an outline is a waste of time. However, this is not the case; an outline is the basic component of your essay paper.

Possessing a detailed essay outline allows you to create a fantastic thematic piece of writing that is logical, flowing, and coherent.

Overall, a good outline consists of an introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. However, the number of your body paragraphs can vary depending on the depth of the theme of your essay.

Introduction

You should begin your essay with an introduction. You should make an impressive introduction that attracts the attention of your reader. The introduction section consists of background information and the vital points discussed in the essay.

You should be strategic when developing this section. Utilizing practical tools such as humor or posting a connective question is critical. In your introduction, deploying exciting and surprising facts encourages the readers to explore your work.

However, you should not make this paragraph lengthy. Instead, it should be brief and contain the central idea concerning the essay. The last sentence in your introduction should comprise the thesis statement.

As discussed earlier, the thesis statement provides information about what is discussed in the body of the essay. Therefore, make sure your thesis statement is clear and provides a logical argument about the topic of the essay.

Body Paragraphs

Body paragraphs are the essay's main body that comprises of detailed discussion of the central theme. This is where you will be providing analysis, supporting justifications, and developing arguments.

It is critical to avoid giving baseless statements in this section because this part demands well-constructed logical arguments supported with evidence, facts, and examples that increase the quality of your essay.

As an essay writer, you should ensure that all your main points are discussed in the body of your essay . Each point should be discussed in each paragraph. The point is stated in the form of the topic statement and supported with the literary device.

Also, you can use subheadings in your thematic essay to avoid clustering of your content. All the paragraphs in your essay should be of equal length.

This is important in producing a quality essay. You can get numerous thematic essays on websites. You can read the samples to guide you in writing an excellent thematic essay.

The conclusion is, marks the end of the essay. A reasonable conclusion should be precise, practical, and logical.

Generally, the conclusion should resonate with the information in the thesis statement . To write a reasonable conclusion, begin by rephrasing the thesis statement.

Rewrite the thesis statement in your own words while keeping the meaning of the idea. After that, summarize the main points discussed in the body paragraphs of your thematic essay. Ensure all the points are summarized.

Finally, provide an overall statement that can hook the reader and attract the reader's interest to explore the topic further.

Essential tips when writing a thematic essay

• Read relevant literature that includes book chapters and other relevant sources that support your theme. Then, read the essay question carefully and brainstorm the best approach to writing your thematic essay.
• Developed a detailed outline that will guide you in writing the paper
• Ensure you master the requirements of the essay and academic rules that govern essay writing. Ensure you adhere to the required format and refrain from plagiarism by paraphrasing important p points from secondary sources.
• Your introduction should be brief and to the point, and you should not forget to include a logical thesis statement
• It is necessary to develop one straightforward central question in every paragraph
• You should present your paragraphs in a logical format. Ensure the paragraphs are linked with one other to ascertain the flow of the essay.
• Use compelling examples and claims that support the points in each paragraph. The claims and examples should be verifiable and well elaborated to bring the logical arguments in the essay.
• You should reference your source properly. Poor citations and references may result in plagiarism. Therefore, ensure you include a well-structured intext citation and reference list in your essay.
• Ensure all your description is followed by extensive analysis as a way of justifying your claims in the essay. Any description that lacks analysis should not be included.
• Make sure that your conclusion is relevant and concise.
• Make sure that all the materials are referenced, and a bibliography or reference list indicating all the used sources is provided
• Ensure you submit your essay at the required time.

Mistakes to avoid when writing a thematic essay

• Avoid using the complex word;
• Avoid using text that is not significant to your essay;
• Do not exaggerate your essay;
• Avoid long sentences;
• Avoid submitting your essay without proper citing;
• Do not submit the paper unreviewed;
• Make sure the paper contains stronger arguments;
• Refrain from submitting your work without running it through a plagiarism checker and Grammarly software
• Avoid using the wrong essay format;
• Avoid using too many questions from secondary sources.

Thematic essay topic ideas

Numerous thematic essay topics can be utilized to produce impressive work. Most of the common thematic topics are related to historical events. As an essay writer, you should consider an exciting topic to write about. Getting an interesting topic is fundamental in deriving ideas and writing quality work based on your knowledge. The following are some of the topics that are related to distinct subjects.

Global regents

• The transformed meaning of philosophy
• Can a person manage unconscious thinking?
• The responsibilities of Men and Women in the modern society
• Human rights in the contemporary world.
• The role of social media in the modern old
• The significance of the political system in the contemporary society
• The role of globalization in the contemporary world.
• The role of religion in society

Belief systems

• Should the death penalty be allowed?
• Should people be allowed to carry handguns?
• Are video games effective in mental health mitigation?
• Women should take care of children and not engage in any form of work.
• The childhood period is the most significant part of human life.

Literary thematic essay topics

• Explain the themes explained in the book �The Great Gatsby."
• Explain the major theme highlighted by Bernard Shaw in the novel �Arms and the man."
• What is the central theme in the poem �The Road not taken" by Robert Frost?
• Happer Lee discusses "innocence" in his novel To Kill a Mockingbird. What does he try to elaborate on?
• The civil war era.
• The slavery issue in America
• US-Russia relations
• The Cold War Period
• Industrial revolution in the USA
• International organizations

Read our article on the list of social issues and see if you can consider some controversial and current social issues for your topic ideation. 

Final Remarks!

As you wind up your thematic essay, ensure that everything is okay. Remove any spelling, stylistic, typographic, and grammatical errors.

Also, confirm is your central theme comes out clearly in the paper. You can hire an expert proofreader to help you spot and correct mistakes.

Thus far, we are sure you have the correct information that has set you up to write a great thematic essay by yourself. You can use this guide to research, plan, and write a quality paper.

Alternatively, you can hire an essay writer to write your thematic essay from Gradecrest. Our model essays are plagiarism-free, 100% unique, and top-quality.

You can also check sample essays online to get further inspiration. We believe that you will write an excellent paper from now on.

Gradecrest is a professional writing service that provides original model papers. We offer personalized services along with research materials for assistance purposes only. All the materials from our website should be used with proper references. See our Terms of Use Page for proper details.

How to Write a Clear Theme Statement (with Examples)

Have you been asked to write a theme statement? It might seem easy at first glance, because theme statements are so short — one sentence, or two at most. Coming up with a solid theme statement requires careful analysis, however. Here's how to write a strong theme statement for any work of art.

Theme Statement Basics

A theme is, in works of art, literature, film, and TV, the one overarching idea that defines the work. No matter the plot and the sub-themes explored in the work, the main theme will shine through in everything the work deals with. A theme statement is a short summary of that idea — a single sentence, or sometimes two, that lay the subject out for an audience.

Theme statements are helpful tools when analyzing a work. In the case of novels, movies, and TV shows, they can also be used to draw potential audience members in without spoiling the work — because (and this is important, so listen up!) a theme statement is not a plot summary, and should never mention specific plot points !

A good theme statement describes the essence of a work, but not its details. It describes the whole work, and not only one particular part of it.

Here's one example:

In the Amazing Spider-Man 2, Marc Webb shows that with great power, there must not only come great responsibility, but also great sacrifice.

Theme statements are, however, to an extent open to interpretation. Works of art often have multiple themes, and you can write an accurate theme statement in a few different ways.

Theme Statement Vs. Theme Topic

If you find yourself needing to craft a theme statement, you may struggle with this question. How does a theme statement differ from a theme topic? Understanding the similarities and differences is quite easy, thankfully. Look at it like this:

• A theme topic simply describes the theme of the work — and although there are many, some common examples include "rags to riches", "coming of age", or "true love".
• A theme statement, in contrast, is a complete sentence (or even two), with some additional information and an interpretation about the way in which the work (film, book, painting, poem...) deals with the theme topic.

As an example, "love conquers all" would be a theme topic. "The central theme in Christopher Nolan's Interstellar is that only love can prevail across space and time," would be a theme statement.

How to Write a Theme Statement

Are you still lost? Are you no closer to writing a killer theme statement now than when you started reading? That's where this step-by-step guide comes in. Warning: Penning a high-quality theme statement requires a deceptively large amount of work and creative power.

1. Explore the Work Thoroughly

Theme statements may be written about:

• Short stories

Your first step lies in interacting with the work — and to keep things simple, let's say you're writing a theme statement about a novel. Read the work thoroughly, cover-to-cover, at least once. It helps if you take notes as you read.

2. Make a List of the Theme Topics You Discover

As you read, you will inevitably discover that the book contains multiple sub-themes. Get yourself a nice notebook, or set up a Word document, and write down any theme topic you come across.

Which one bleeds through in the entire work? That will be the main theme. From the main challenge the protagonist faces and the way in which they overcome it, the interactions the characters have, the language used, and the way in which the setting is described, can you guess the author's opinion on this central theme? Now you have a solid base to work with.

Reading the book closely, and asking yourself what message it's sending, is the way to find a theme in a literary piece. That same process works for movies, TV shows, and short stories as well. Finding the theme in a painting or poem can be significantly more challenging, however.

3. Explore the Author’s Thoughts

The work you are interacting with, and are attempting to write a theme statement for, is of course the main place where you will be exploring the author's thoughts on the book's theme topic. It is not, on the other hand, your only possible source of information. Especially if you are writing a theme statement for a more recently-written book, you are highly likely to be able to find:

• Interviews in which the author shares their thoughts on the character's main struggles and the ultimate meaning of the literary work.
• Social media blurbs on the topic.
• Don't discount the synopsis on the back of the cover, either! You'll often find a lot of good info there.

4. Use a Template or Theme Statement Generators

Congratulations! The book you are writing a theme statement for has now become, at the very least, an "acquaintance", and maybe even a "friend". You have immersed yourself in the book's overarching theme, and you have intellectually analyzed the book, at least informally in your own mind.

Still not sure how to write a theme statement? You could look for theme statement templates or theme statement generators on the internet, and find some useful tools. You could also work with the following informal template:

The [film/book/poem/etc] [title], by [author] explores [main theme], showing that [main opinion or message about the theme].

Once you're done filling in the blanks, get to work on rewriting that sentence to make it sound a lot more appealing.

You could start your sentence with:

• [Name of the work] masterfully explores how....
• The main theme of [Title] is that...
• [Name of author's] work [Title] shows that...

Once you have penned a theme statement you wholly agree with, and you feel confident that it reflects the spirit of the work, you will only need to format it and incorporate it, where relevant, into a wider essay you are writing about the work.

Good Examples of Theme Statements

Are you still not certain that you are on the right track with your theme statement? It always helps to see some examples in action.

Theme Statements Exploring Family

The remake of the classic show Lost in Space sheds a new light on an age-old struggle — exploring each member's individuality in relation to the family unit.

E.B. White's Charlotte's Web illustrates that "family" is not necessarily the group one is born into, but a group that chooses to stick by one another unconditionally, no matter what struggles lie ahead.

Theme Statements Dealing with Friendship

Stranger Things is ultimately about the enduring power of friendship — which can, with the right dose of determination, overcome almost anything.

Spider-Man Far from Home deals with some of the hardest aspects of friendship, asking what lengths we are morally obliged to go to to protect those we love.

Theme Statements Discussing Love

Shakespeare explores the unstoppable force of love, regardless of obstacles, in Romeo and Juliet .

Pride and Prejudice leaves no stone unturned as it boldly discusses the ways in which budding love can change us forever.

Theme Statements About Death

They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera demonstrates the power of mortality itself, for it is the guaranteed ending that makes life worthwhile.

Henry Scott-Holland's poem Death Is Nothing At All explores the transitory nature of life.

Theme Statements that Touch on Fear

In Heart of Darkness , Joseph Conrad shows that fear can be used to control — or to overcome.

Sony's Into the Spider-Verse sheds a unique perspective on the universal emotion of fear, showing that our own insecurities often represent our most significant fetters.

Theme Statements about Identity

Good Will Hunting explores the universal themes of abandonment and identity, asking whether trusting others is possible after a lifetime of isolation and fear.

Frances Hodgson Burnett's Secret Garden is a tale of lost souls who are found, and learn to trust themselves in the process.

The book Record of a Spaceborn Few , by Becky Chambers, shows that even the oldest of traditions must sooner or later bend to the harsh tides of history.

Social Issues

Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy grapples with the universal human challenge of injustice, showing that hope can be found in the darkest of places.

The Hate U Give , by Angie Thomas, is a coming-of-age story with a twist. When oppression is a daily reality, Thomas shows, love and unity are the only way forward.

5 Important Tips on Writing a Theme Statement

Are you ready to rock your own theme statement now? Yes — very nearly. Before you do go forward with your final version, you'll want to make sure to stick to a few important dos and don'ts.

When you present a theme statement for a book, movie, TV series, or piece of poetry, see to it that your statement is:

• The best theme statements are the result of the hard work you did in interacting with (reading, watching) the work of art you are writing a theme statement for, and getting to know it intimately. Once you are familiar with the work, you can analyze it and present an authentic opinion on its main theme. Note that others may disagree with you. That is OK, as long as you sincerely believe that your position is correct and can defend it.
• Your opinions in writing your theme statement should flow directly from the literary or cinematic work you are analyzing; don't bring your own baggage into the theme statement if the work does not explicitly tackle it.

As you pen your theme statement, make sure that you don't:

• Offer specifics. This is both so that you can see the "trees for the forest", so to speak, and identify the theme rather than the plot points, and so that you do not spoil the work for people who have not yet read it or seen it.
• Deal in cliches. It's easy. You'll even spot a few in the previous section. If your theme statement is important to you, however, try to toss your preconceived ideas aside and analyze the work's important subject matter in a novel way.
• Don't generalize in your theme statement. Love doesn't "always triumph", for instance.

As long as you keep these points in mind, and you have done the work you need to in analyzing your book, movie, or other piece of art, you will end up with a theme statement you can be proud of.

How to start a theme statement?

You can start a theme statement simply by discussing what work of art you are talking about — "in [this work] authored by [this person]...", or "[Author's] classic book, [title], shows that...". Your readers want to know what you are talking about, after all. Take it from there.

How to write a theme statement essay?

After opening your essay with the theme statement, as you view it after careful analysis, you can discuss the main theme and related sub-themes explored within the work you are analyzing in detail. You may compare the work to other works that deal with similar themes, perhaps in entirely different settings, as well.

How to write a theme in a sentence?

If you follow the format of "who wrote this work", "what's the main underlying topic?", and "why is that important?", you will be able to summarize the theme of a literary or cinematic work in a single sentence. Remember that theme statements may have two sentences, though.

How to write a theme paragraph?

If you were asked to write an entire paragraph, simply explore the work's theme topic in more depth. You should still avoid any specifics, including plot points or character analyses.

Can you find a theme through titles?

Titles can sometimes offer important clues about a work's theme. This is not always the case, however. Some works of art have deceptively unrelated titles.

Related posts:

• How to Write an Effective Claim (with Examples)
• Where Art Thou? - Meaning, Origin and Usage
• I Digress - Meaning, Origin and Usage
• Wuv - Meaning, Origin and Usage
• Bone of Contention - Meaning, Usage and Origin
• Blue Heart Emoji - Meaning, Origin and Usage

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

• Ask LitCharts AI
• Discussion Question Generator
• Essay Prompt Generator
• Quiz Question Generator

• Literature Guides
• Poetry Guides
• Shakespeare Translations
• Literary Terms

Theme Definition

What is theme? Here’s a quick and simple definition:

A theme is a universal idea, lesson, or message explored throughout a work of literature. One key characteristic of literary themes is their universality, which is to say that themes are ideas that not only apply to the specific characters and events of a book or play, but also express broader truths about human experience that readers can apply to their own lives. For instance, John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath (about a family of tenant farmers who are displaced from their land in Oklahoma) is a book whose themes might be said to include the inhumanity of capitalism, as well as the vitality and necessity of family and friendship.

Some additional key details about theme:

• All works of literature have themes. The same work can have multiple themes, and many different works explore the same or similar themes.
• Themes are sometimes divided into thematic concepts and thematic statements . A work's thematic concept is the broader topic it touches upon (love, forgiveness, pain, etc.) while its thematic statement is what the work says about that topic. For example, the thematic concept of a romance novel might be love, and, depending on what happens in the story, its thematic statement might be that "Love is blind," or that "You can't buy love . "
• Themes are almost never stated explicitly. Oftentimes you can identify a work's themes by looking for a repeating symbol , motif , or phrase that appears again and again throughout a story, since it often signals a recurring concept or idea.

Theme Pronunciation

Here's how to pronounce theme: theem

Identifying Themes

Every work of literature—whether it's an essay, a novel, a poem, or something else—has at least one theme. Therefore, when analyzing a given work, it's always possible to discuss what the work is "about" on two separate levels: the more concrete level of the plot (i.e., what literally happens in the work), as well as the more abstract level of the theme (i.e., the concepts that the work deals with). Understanding the themes of a work is vital to understanding the work's significance—which is why, for example, every LitCharts Literature Guide uses a specific set of themes to help analyze the text.

Although some writers set out to explore certain themes in their work before they've even begun writing, many writers begin to write without a preconceived idea of the themes they want to explore—they simply allow the themes to emerge naturally through the writing process. But even when writers do set out to investigate a particular theme, they usually don't identify that theme explicitly in the work itself. Instead, each reader must come to their own conclusions about what themes are at play in a given work, and each reader will likely come away with a unique thematic interpretation or understanding of the work.

Symbol, Motif, and Leitwortstil

Writers often use three literary devices in particular—known as symbol , motif , and leitwortstil —to emphasize or hint at a work's underlying themes. Spotting these elements at work in a text can help you know where to look for its main themes.

• Near the beginning of Romeo and Juliet , Benvolio promises to make Romeo feel better about Rosaline's rejection of him by introducing him to more beautiful women, saying "Compare [Rosaline's] face with some that I shall show….and I will make thee think thy swan a crow." Here, the swan is a symbol for how Rosaline appears to the adoring Romeo, while the crow is a symbol for how she will soon appear to him, after he has seen other, more beautiful women.
• Symbols might occur once or twice in a book or play to represent an emotion, and in that case aren't necessarily related to a theme. However, if you start to see clusters of similar symbols appearing in a story, this may mean that the symbols are part of an overarching motif, in which case they very likely are related to a theme.
• For example, Shakespeare uses the motif of "dark vs. light" in Romeo and Juliet to emphasize one of the play's main themes: the contradictory nature of love. To develop this theme, Shakespeare describes the experience of love by pairing contradictory, opposite symbols next to each other throughout the play: not only crows and swans, but also night and day, moon and sun. These paired symbols all fall into the overall pattern of "dark vs. light," and that overall pattern is called a motif.
• A famous example is Kurt Vonnegut's repetition of the phrase "So it goes" throughout his novel Slaughterhouse Five , a novel which centers around the events of World War II. Vonnegut's narrator repeats the phrase each time he recounts a tragic story from the war, an effective demonstration of how the horrors of war have become normalized for the narrator. The constant repetition of the phrase emphasizes the novel's primary themes: the death and destruction of war, and the futility of trying to prevent or escape such destruction, and both of those things coupled with the author's skepticism that any of the destruction is necessary and that war-time tragedies "can't be helped."

Symbol, motif and leitwortstil are simply techniques that authors use to emphasize themes, and should not be confused with the actual thematic content at which they hint. That said, spotting these tools and patterns can give you valuable clues as to what might be the underlying themes of a work.

Thematic Concepts vs. Thematic Statements

A work's thematic concept is the broader topic it touches upon—for instance:

• Forgiveness

while its thematic statement is the particular argument the writer makes about that topic through his or her work, such as:

• Human judgement is imperfect.
• Love cannot be bought.
• Getting revenge on someone else will not fix your problems.
• Learning to forgive is part of becoming an adult.

Should You Use Thematic Concepts or Thematic Statements?

Some people argue that when describing a theme in a work that simply writing a thematic concept is insufficient, and that instead the theme must be described in a full sentence as a thematic statement. Other people argue that a thematic statement, being a single sentence, usually creates an artificially simplistic description of a theme in a work and is therefore can actually be more misleading than helpful. There isn't really a right answer in this debate.

In our LitCharts literature study guides , we usually identify themes in headings as thematic concepts, and then explain the theme more fully in a few paragraphs. We find thematic statements limiting in fully exploring or explaining a the theme, and so we don't use them. Please note that this doesn't mean we only rely on thematic concepts—we spend paragraphs explaining a theme after we first identify a thematic concept. If you are asked to describe a theme in a text, you probably should usually try to at least develop a thematic statement about the text if you're not given the time or space to describe it more fully. For example, a statement that a book is about "the senselessness of violence" is a lot stronger and more compelling than just saying that the book is about "violence."

Identifying Thematic Statements

One way to try to to identify or describe the thematic statement within a particular work is to think through the following aspects of the text:

• Plot: What are the main plot elements in the work, including the arc of the story, setting, and characters. What are the most important moments in the story? How does it end? How is the central conflict resolved?
• Protagonist: Who is the main character, and what happens to him or her? How does he or she develop as a person over the course of the story?
• Prominent symbols and motifs: Are there any motifs or symbols that are featured prominently in the work—for example, in the title, or recurring at important moments in the story—that might mirror some of the main themes?

After you've thought through these different parts of the text, consider what their answers might tell you about the thematic statement the text might be trying to make about any given thematic concept. The checklist above shouldn't be thought of as a precise formula for theme-finding, but rather as a set of guidelines, which will help you ask the right questions and arrive at an interesting thematic interpretation.

Theme Examples

The following examples not only illustrate how themes develop over the course of a work of literature, but they also demonstrate how paying careful attention to detail as you read will enable you to come to more compelling conclusions about those themes.

Themes in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby

Fitzgerald explores many themes in The Great Gatsby , among them the corruption of the American Dream .

• The story's narrator is Minnesota-born Nick Caraway, a New York bonds salesman. Nick befriends Jay Gatsby, the protagonist, who is a wealthy man who throws extravagant parties at his mansion.
• The central conflict of the novel is Gatsby's pursuit of Daisy, whom he met and fell in love with as a young man, but parted from during World War I.
• He makes a fortune illegally by bootlegging alcohol, to become the sort of wealthy man he believes Daisy is attracted to, then buys a house near her home, where she lives with her husband.
• While he does manage to re-enter Daisy's life, she ultimately abandons him and he dies as a result of her reckless, selfish behavior.
• Gatsby's house is on the water, and he stares longingly across the water at a green light that hangs at the edge of a dock at Daisy's house which sits across a the bay. The symbol of the light appears multiple times in the novel—during the early stages of Gatsby's longing for Daisy, during his pursuit of her, and after he dies without winning her love. It symbolizes both his longing for daisy and the distance between them (the distance of space and time) that he believes (incorrectly) that he can bridge. 
• In addition to the green light, the color green appears regularly in the novel. This motif of green broadens and shapes the symbolism of the green light and also influences the novel's themes. While green always remains associated with Gatsby's yearning for Daisy and the past, and also his ambitious striving to regain Daisy, it also through the motif of repeated green becomes associated with money, hypocrisy, and destruction. Gatsby's yearning for Daisy, which is idealistic in some ways, also becomes clearly corrupt in others, which more generally impacts what the novel is saying about dreams more generally and the American Dream in particular. 

Gatsby pursues the American Dream, driven by the idea that hard work can lead anyone from poverty to wealth, and he does so for a single reason: he's in love with Daisy. However, he pursues the dream dishonestly, making a fortune by illegal means, and ultimately fails to achieve his goal of winning Daisy's heart. Furthermore, when he actually gets close to winning Daisy's heart, she brings about his downfall. Through the story of Gatsby and Daisy, Fitzgerald expresses the point of view that the American Dream carries at its core an inherent corruption. You can read more about the theme of The American Dream in The Great Gatsby here .

Themes in Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

In Things Fall Apart , Chinua Achebe explores the theme of the dangers of rigidly following tradition .

• Okonkwo is obsessed with embodying the masculine ideals of traditional Igbo warrior culture.
• Okonkwo's dedication to his clan's traditions is so extreme that it even alienates members of his own family, one of whom joins the Christians.
• The central conflict: Okonkwo's community adapts to colonization in order to survive, becoming less warlike and allowing the minor injustices that the colonists inflict upon them to go unchallenged. Okonkwo, however, refuses to adapt.
• At the end of the novel, Okonkwo impulsively kills a Christian out of anger. Recognizing that his community does not support his crime, Okonkwo kills himself in despair.
• Clanswomen who give birth to twins abandon the babies in the forest to die, according to traditional beliefs that twins are evil.
• Okonkwo kills his beloved adopted son, a prisoner of war, according to the clan's traditions.
• Okonkwo sacrifices a goat in repentence, after severely beating his wife during the clan's holy week.

Through the tragic story of Okonkwo, Achebe is clearly dealing with the theme of tradition, but a close examination of the text reveals that he's also making a clear thematic statement that following traditions too rigidly leads people to the greatest sacrifice of all: that of personal agency . You can read more about this theme in Things Fall Apart   here .

Themes in Robert Frost's The Road Not Taken

Poem's have themes just as plot-driven narratives do. One theme that Robert Frost explores in this famous poem,  The Road Not Taken ,  is the illusory nature of free will .

• The poem's speaker stands at a fork in the road, in a "yellow wood."
• He (or she) looks down one path as far as possible, then takes the other, which seems less worn.
• The speaker then admits that the paths are about equally worn—there's really no way to tell the difference—and that a layer of leaves covers both of the paths, indicating that neither has been traveled recently.
• After taking the second path, the speaker finds comfort in the idea of taking the first path sometime in the future, but acknowledges that he or she is unlikely to ever return to that particular fork in the woods.
• The speaker imagines how, "with a sigh" she will tell someone in the future, "I took the road less travelled—and that has made all the difference."
• By wryly predicting his or her own need to romanticize, and retroactively justify, the chosen path, the speaker injects the poem with an unmistakeable hint of irony .
• The speaker's journey is a symbol for life, and the two paths symbolize different life paths, with the road "less-travelled" representing the path of an individualist or lone-wolf. The fork where the two roads diverge represents an important life choice. The road "not taken" represents the life path that the speaker would have pursued had he or she had made different choices.

Frost's speaker has reached a fork in the road, which—according to the symbolic language of the poem—means that he or she must make an important life decision. However, the speaker doesn't really know anything about the choice at hand: the paths appear to be the same from the speaker's vantage point, and there's no way he or she can know where the path will lead in the long term. By showing that the only truly informed choice the speaker makes is how he or she explains their decision after they have already made it , Frost suggests that although we pretend to make our own choices, our lives are actually governed by chance.

What's the Function of Theme in Literature?

Themes are a huge part of what readers ultimately take away from a work of literature when they're done reading it. They're the universal lessons and ideas that we draw from our experiences of works of art: in other words, they're part of the whole reason anyone would want to pick up a book in the first place!

It would be difficult to write any sort of narrative that did not include any kind of theme. The narrative itself would have to be almost completely incoherent in order to seem theme-less, and even then readers would discern a theme about incoherence and meaninglessness. So themes are in that sense an intrinsic part of nearly all writing. At the same time, the themes that a writer is interested in exploring will significantly impact nearly all aspects of how a writer chooses to write a text. Some writers might know the themes they want to explore from the beginning of their writing process, and proceed from there. Others might have only a glimmer of an idea, or have new ideas as they write, and so the themes they address might shift and change as they write. In either case, though, the writer's ideas about his or her themes will influence how they write. 

One additional key detail about themes and how they work is that the process of identifying and interpreting them is often very personal and subjective. The subjective experience that readers bring to interpreting a work's themes is part of what makes literature so powerful: reading a book isn't simply a one-directional experience, in which the writer imparts their thoughts on life to the reader, already distilled into clear thematic statements. Rather, the process of reading and interpreting a work to discover its themes is an exchange in which readers parse the text to tease out the themes they find most relevant to their personal experience and interests.

Other Helpful Theme Resources

• The Wikipedia Page on Theme: An in-depth explanation of theme that also breaks down the difference between thematic concepts and thematic statements.
• The Dictionary Definition of Theme: A basic definition and etymology of the term.
• In this instructional video , a teacher explains her process for helping students identify themes.

• External Conflict
• Anachronism
• Slant Rhyme
• Epanalepsis
• Verbal Irony
• Red Herring
• Tragic Hero

• Quizzes, saving guides, requests, plus so much more.

Writing Theme: The Simple Way to Weave a Thematic Message into Your Story

by J. D. Edwin | 1 comment

Start Your Story TODAY! We’re teaching a new LIVE workshop this week to help you start your next book. Learn more and sign up here.

Does the concept of “theme” confuse you? Do you have trouble writing a strong theme, or weaving a theme into your story? How do you write a theme in literature? 

If theme confuses you, you’re not alone. Lots of writers struggle to identify a theme in their book—and many don't even know what thematic message the are communicating through their story until a second or later draft.

The good news is, there are writing tips you can use when weaving a thematic message (or two) into your story. I'd like to share three simple ways to do this.

Why Writing Theme Was Difficult for Me (And How I Overcame This)

I remember the days back in high school English class when I dreaded writing essays on the common themes of books and stories.

There was one particular book that always lingers on my mind, Cold Mountain. I did not understand this book in the least, and when asked about theme, I picked a random sentence that sounded nice and called it a thematic statement. It wasn't one. It was about rocks—not the human condition.

As I grew and developed my skills as a writer, the concept of inserting a theme into a story eluded me.

A theme, after all, is an important story element when writing a novel .

It’s often abstract and vague, and yet it’s supposed to fit every part of your story and tie it all together.

How can you fit this big, confounding idea into your story and keep it consistent throughout, especially when writing a book?

Believe it or not, there is a way!

It wasn’t until the last few years that I finally began to understand how exactly a theme should fit into a story, and that—as it turns out—writing theme isn’t that complicated at all.

When Writing Theme, First Ask Yourself: “What is a Theme?”

A central theme is the main idea or underlying meaning that an author explores in a novel. There can be multiple themes in a story, but each of them says something big about the story's lesson, and what readers can take away from the book.

Does this seem confusing, or ambiguous? Let’s make it simpler:

A theme is an idea that recurs in a story.

That makes a little more sense. But let’s break it down even further.

A theme is a message you keep reminding your reader because it's what the story is really about.

That means a theme is a message that says, “Hey, by the way, just so you remember, this is what I’m trying to tell you. I want you to read this story and remember this .”

You sprinkle this message throughout your story like seasoning on a dish, through description, through dialogue, and through choices made by your characters.

But when writing theme, how do you choose your story's theme(s)? And even after you choose them, how do you weave them into your story's scenes ?

How to Choose Your Story's Theme

Your theme doesn’t have to be complicated. It can be one sentence, a simple phrase, or just one word. In fact, the simpler and more straightforward the theme, the better.

Think of your theme as the one idea you want your readers to keep in the back of their minds during and after reading the story.

For an example, let’s pretend we are going to write a story about an old woman recounting the long life she’s lived.

The theme we want to convey is “passage of time.”

But what does this mean? What will this say about your character experiencing your story, and how can you make this clear to the reader without being overly obvious? What will my story say about the passage of time?

Weaving Theme in Your Story

When writing theme, and then weaving it into your story, begin by identifying words relevant to your theme.

In the example we’ve selected, many words tie to the concept of time, such as:

• Clocks/watches
• Ahead/behind
• Birth/death

Once you identify these words, weave them into your story. This is something that may feel difficult when you first draft your story, but can be done fairly easily in future drafts or during editing.

Let’s take a look at how we can weave this theme of passing time into our story. Imagine this scene:

Doris sat on the creaky bench at the bus stop. The shops down by Main Street had changed from what she remembered. Old McLaren’s barbershop had become a trendy boutique, and the high school where her children attended had been knocked down and rebuilt twice since they graduated. A bike lane had been added to accommodate the increase in cyclers. Biking seemed to have made a comeback. The city bus pulled up with a groan. The tired-looking driver popped the door and gestured to her. “Come on now, I got a schedule to keep.” Doris rose, wincing at her aching bones, and dragged herself onto the bus, where she chose a seat near the back window and watched the city she no longer recognized scroll by outside.

This passage conveys what the story wants to say about time, but something feels weak about it.

It’s loose, like a series of thoughts and descriptions that has a central idea but not quite. To change that, let’s review our theme-relevant words above and take another crack at it.

Here we go:

The ancient bench creaked under Doris as she put her weight on it. It needed a coat of paint badly, but the fast-paced city couldn’t be bothered to pause and refurbish every run-down bus stop. It certainly had time though, Doris thought, to take down and replace all her old haunts. Old McLaren’s barbershop had become a trendy boutique last fall, and the high school where her children attended had been knocked down and rebuilt twice since they graduated at the turn of the century. A bike lane had been added to accommodate the increase in cyclers. Biking was big in the ‘80s, and now the hipsters have brought it back. The city bus pulled up with an exhausted groan. Compared to the bus stop, the old machine looked even worse for wear. The driver with deep lines over his brows popped the door and gestured to her. “Tick-tock, lady. Got a schedule to keep.” Doris rose, wincing at her aching bones. Perhaps she ought to lose weight, she thought to herself, but it was more a flight of fancy than anything – the days when she could still hit the treadmill in between busy work days and long nights partying were far behind her. She dragged herself onto the bus, started to sit in the first available seat, then changed her mind and moved to a quieter spot near the back window, where she settled down heavily and watched the city she no longer recognized scroll by outside.

Does this passage feel more interesting? More emotive? Paints a clearer picture?

The reason is because the theme of time comes through, not only for Doris, but in the poorly maintained bus stop (ancient; contrast against the fast-paced city), the passing of seasons and time (fall, turn of the century), and word choices (tick-tock).

The bus is an old machine, the driver has lines over his brows, the old trend of biking comes full circle, and Doris is no longer the young buck she once was.

Then, instead of sitting in the most convenient seat, she chooses one in the back, a quiet spot that contrasts against her former busy, noisy life of working, gym, and parties.

Every part of this passage now emphasizes time, using words that call to mind clocks, seasons, fast and slow, old and young. Not only does it bring forth the theme and message more strongly, it also makes the story more vivid, tight, and emotional.

Writing theme—specifically the passage of time—in this example takes on new meaning because the context of the story's character, perspective, setting, and conflict all points back to the character's relationship with time itself.

The theme becomes more purposeful because the theme, the passage of time, has a purpose in how the character experiences her surroundings.

Writing With a Theme Makes a Difference

Fitting a theme to your story doesn’t have to be complicated.

By breaking it down to relevant words wrapped around a central idea, you can sprinkle it all throughout your book and reiterate your message to your readers in a subtle, consistent manner.

Writing with a theme can seem daunting, because it feels like everything you write has to fit this one central idea. But the truth is, deciding on a theme can actually help making the writing process easier.

There are a million ways to describe a particular tree your character encounters on their walk. Is it tall? Beautiful? Ugly? Majestic? Inconvenient? Knobbly? But with a theme in mind, you can quickly narrow down the appropriate words to use.

A theme of time, as mentioned above, might lead you to describe the tree as “ancient”, or “a young sapling,” or “bent like grandmother's back.” A different theme, such as young love, might lead you to describe it as “a meeting place of lovers,” or “swaying gently like a lady's hips.”

Instead of being a burden or extra consideration, a theme can work with you and serve as your guide.

And remember, you shouldn't overthink (or overdo) a theme. Plenty of writers don't even know their story's theme until after they've written their first draft.

Still, you need a theme to make a story resonate with your reader after they finish your book. And using the simple tip for writing theme (and weaving it into your scenes) discussed in this post will strengthen your revisions—and the messages making your story memorable and meaningful.

Have you come across themes in your past readings that really resonated with you? Share in the comments below.

First, pick a theme and list out five to ten words relevant to it. Really think about what it would take to integrate these words into a story. Take five minutes to choose your theme and list your words.

Now, take ten minutes to write a blurb that communicates the theme above using the words you listed to inject your message into the story.

When you're done, share your theme and your blurb in the Pro Practice Workshop here . And be sure to support your fellow writers by commenting on what they share, too!

J. D. Edwin

J. D. Edwin is a daydreamer and writer of fiction both long and short, usually in soft sci-fi or urban fantasy. Sign up for her newsletter for free articles on the writer life and updates on her novel, find her on Facebook and Twitter ( @JDEdwinAuthor ), or read one of her many short stories on Short Fiction Break literary magazine .

Thank you for writing about this mysterious and yet crucial facet of writing stories that work. Theme is something I’ve only begun to explore (despite having started writing about a thousand years ago) and it’s tricky to say the least. Your article has made it a bit clearer. I like your idea of adding words that express a chosen theme into the fabric of the story, too. I intend to put it into practice immediately!

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Submit Comment

Join over 450,000 readers who are saying YES to practice. You’ll also get a free copy of our eBook 14 Prompts :

Popular Resources

Best Resources for Writers Book Writing Tips & Guides Creativity & Inspiration Tips Writing Prompts Grammar & Vocab Resources Best Book Writing Software ProWritingAid Review Writing Teacher Resources Publisher Rocket Review Scrivener Review Gifts for Writers

Books By Our Writers

You've got it! Just us where to send your guide.

Enter your email to get our free 10-step guide to becoming a writer.

You've got it! Just us where to send your book.

Enter your first name and email to get our free book, 14 Prompts.

Want to Get Published?

Enter your email to get our free interactive checklist to writing and publishing a book.

How to Write a Thematic Essay?

06 August, 2020

12 minutes read

Author:  Kate Smith

The road to graduation from any educational institution is lined with essays and written assignments – and the majority of these happen to be thematic essays, as they are supposed to demonstrate that the students understand the topic or material well. A thematic essay is almost as old as writing is, for it focuses on investigating a topic to provide detailed analysis and evidence of why a certain claim can be made.

What is a Thematic Essay?

Although this type of essay is commonly used to analyze some historical facts or a specific literary piece and its significance, a thematic essay can be assigned on a variety of subjects. It is also a traditional classroom essay that may be a part of different exams, so students may be required to craft a thematic essay within limited time, sticking to the topic provided. This is the main reason why they consider thematic essays difficult, but whenever there’s a longer deadline and a choice of topics, the writing process is easier.

However, there’s an important thing that everyone who’s wondering ‘what is a thematic essay?’ needs to know. This type of essay mainly lets the teacher determine your knowledge of the material, and it should demonstrate your comprehension of the topic that you can back up with solid arguments and relevant examples. But proper structure is just as essential to your writing as the scope of the topic. All of the points you want to make, as well as the supporting evidence must be organized in a clear, consecutive way. If your essay lacks focus or is illogical in its organization, your readers will not be able to recognize neither the thoroughness of your research, nor the significance of your critical thinking. They might even have trouble following what evidence you found to help you arrive at a certain conclusion.

How to Find and Explore the Central Theme?

To tackle this type of essay, you often have to narrow down a topic that’s too broad before getting started on your writing. A theme is what an author portrays in a literary work, or the specific point the author is making. Often, it is the most frequently discussed one, or it is a lesson of the greatest overall significance that can be derived from the work and applied to our lives. Thus, to effectively plan out how you are going to write a thematic essay, identify the theme first. Focus on the main point the author is trying to make about a particular subject, the message he is trying to convey, why it is relevant or important at the moment, and the way the reader can benefit from it.

That’s why having a place to start and an outline to follow lays the groundwork for your thematic essay. It is the most important step in the entire essay writing process.

Thematic Essay Outline

By using an outline to shape your essay, you have a format to follow that ensures knowledge of the topic, addressing all the questions of the assignment, and keeping all of the points you want to make well-organized. A thematic essay outline lets you effectively draw parallels between different facts, formulate a coherent and detailed evaluation of the topic, and see whether something in the essay is lacking or needs to be rearranged and revised.

Some essay types may have less rigid layouts and writing requirements, allowing for more creativity and freedom when it comes to formatting. However, this is not the case with instructions on how to write a thematic essay. Just as with other traditional essays, there should be at least five paragraphs in a thematic essay, including an introduction with a thesis statement, three body paragraphs that will support your thesis with relevant arguments and examples, and a logical conclusion to wrap everything up at the end.

Introduction 

Generally, to write a thematic essay you need to have an idea of what your thesis will be, how your body paragraphs will prove it, and how you are going to summarize all of the arguments detailed in the body of the essay in your conclusion. The introduction has to present the main subject of your essay as well as any necessary background information and your thesis statement. At the same time, it should be interesting enough to make the reader want to learn more about the topic. The opening sentence of the introduction is often referred to as a ‘hook’ because it is supposed to grab the reader’s attention. For this purpose, it can evoke anticipation, controversy, irony, or ask a question. The thesis statement is very important because it gives your topic a direction and a specific purpose.

The thesis statement lays the ground for further analysis, for answering a specific question, asserting an opinion or explaining how and why something works (or has worked/failed to produce an expected result). Think of your thesis statement as a compelling and concise headline that gives the reader a good idea of what the rest of the paper is about and what to expect next. It should be engaging, but not confusing to your audience. Have you ever been extremely disappointed by reading an article or watching a movie because it wasn’t what the headline, magazine cover or a movie trailer promised it to be? To make sure your reader doesn’t feel like that, you want your thesis to be integral to the essay and to all of the evidence that you provide in the following body paragraphs. Quite often, a thesis statement needs a few revisions to acquire more focus and clarity as you add the body paragraphs to your thematic essay.

Body paragraphs 

While the 5-paragraph structure gives you a basic layout to work with, it should have three body paragraphs because the thesis must be supported by at least three significant arguments. However, unless the essay has a required length, you can include more supporting facts or examples. There may be more body paragraphs than just three, depending on the details of the assignment or the points you are required to address, but keep in mind that your essay should be concise and devoid of wordiness. Usually, the essay writer should focus on one point or sub-topic per paragraph, but depending on the complexity of the topic, the quantity of paragraphs for validating each claim or explaining your reasoning may vary. 

You can think of body paragraphs as building blocks that include expert quotes or specific examples to add weight to them, as well as to your arguments. This is the ‘meat of your essay’ as long as you make sure that you explain the logic behind each quotation or evidence supporting your claim, and that it is in sync with your thesis statement. Such connections are essential as they tie not only the evidence and arguments, but an entire essay together. 

The conclusion is not simply a reiterated thesis, but a reinforced one. However, it’s important to keep in mind that it should not introduce any new facts not discussed in the body of a thematic essay. The conclusion has to summarize the information presented in the essay, briefly going over the main ideas or claims and explaining how they influence your thesis. Finally, it should wrap up your essay in the most meaningful way, emphasizing the significance and relevance of your topic.

Thematic Essay Examples

Check the examples of thematic essays to use as writing models:

https://www.template.net/business/essay/five-paragraph-essay-template/

Thematic essay topics

To sum up, reading some properly structured thematic essay examples may be the most helpful tip for understanding what your essay should look like, and how to organize your thoughts into a logical sequence. Besides, a list of the most commonly used thematic essay topics is a frequent search query along with ‘thematic essay examples’, as it helps students to get an idea of what to expect at exams.

US History Thematic Essay

In this essay, there will be fewer words that address the reader. The purpose of this writing is to present a balanced analysis of a topic based on facts, explaining a topic in a logical and straightforward manner.

US History thematic essay example topics:

• Major movements in U.S. history
• Major advances in U.S. history
• Significant government reforms
• U.S. Presidents and their major decisions 
• U.S. wars and conflicts

Global Regents Thematic Essay 

These topics are likely to feature broad concepts, but they usually include tasks and suggestions that are more specific. In your essay, you are supposed to address this detailed task and the issues, concepts or questions it prompts you to explain or interpret. Using examples from your course of global history or geography is also required in your thematic essay. 

Global Regents thematic essay example topics:

• Impact of colonizations on world history
• Migrations of people and their effects
• Major characteristics of world civilizations
• Cultures and their contributions
• Economic Systems
• Political Systems
• The turning points in history (revolutions, conflicts, wars)
• Revolutions and clashing of ideas
• Revolutions and new discoveries
• Scientific development
• Technological progress
• Human rights: impactful leaders and their ideas
• Human rights violations

Belief Systems Thematic Essay

A belief system is a way a group or an individual regards religious or philosophical principles. The beliefs that have formed major religions or a mainstay of a civilization may be similar or different, but each belief system has influenced the lives of its followers as well as the history, culture, politics, or economy of a specific nation or country.

Belief Systems thematic essay example topics:

• How belief systems influenced ancient civilizations?
• How did a belief form a religion?
• Cultures as systems of interconnections between humans
• The role of religion in Ancient Roman society
• The three major monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam
• Judaism: the first monotheistic religion
• The personal belief system and life values
• Compare Christianity to another religion. Are there more similarities or differences?
• Compare two struggles for religious freedom in different countries and time periods
• What makes all struggles for religious freedom similar?

The bottom line

While students often have difficulties writing thematic essays, these are not the most complicated tasks to complete within a certain course or subject. They just require making a detailed examination of the topic using relevant facts, examples or other evidence that you should be able to find in order to make your arguments more solid, and to show that you have gained a thorough understanding of the topic. However, you mustn’t just summarize the well-known facts or what you have learned from a course or book. In a thematic essay, you are supposed to identify and explain or compare issues, causes, patterns, outcomes, and connections between facts or events as well as their consequences or influences.

A life lesson in Romeo and Juliet taught by death

Due to human nature, we draw conclusions only when life gives us a lesson since the experience of others is not so effective and powerful. Therefore, when analyzing and sorting out common problems we face, we may trace a parallel with well-known book characters or real historical figures. Moreover, we often compare our situations with […]

Ethical Research Paper Topics

Writing a research paper on ethics is not an easy task, especially if you do not possess excellent writing skills and do not like to contemplate controversial questions. But an ethics course is obligatory in all higher education institutions, and students have to look for a way out and be creative. When you find an […]

Art Research Paper Topics

Students obtaining degrees in fine art and art & design programs most commonly need to write a paper on art topics. However, this subject is becoming more popular in educational institutions for expanding students’ horizons. Thus, both groups of receivers of education: those who are into arts and those who only get acquainted with art […]

How to Write a Thematic Essay (Thematic Essay Examples Included)

Apr 8, 2024 | 0 comments

Apr 8, 2024 | Blog | 0 comments

Writing an essay can be a challenging task, especially when it comes to tackling a thematic essay. A thematic essay requires students to analyze a specific theme or concept and draw connections between various literary works, historical events, or scientific phenomena. By exploring the underlying messages and ideas presented in the chosen theme, students can develop a deeper understanding of the subject matter and present a cohesive argument in their essay. This article will discuss how to write a thematic analysis essay, providing helpful tips and tricks to guide you through the process. We will also include examples of thematic essays to demonstrate how to structure and convey your ideas effectively in a thematic essay. So whether you’re a seasoned essay writer looking to enhance your skills or a student facing their first thematic essay assignment, this guide will equip you with the knowledge and tools needed to write a compelling and insightful thematic essay. 

Table of Contents

Thematic Essay Definition?

A thematic essay is a specific type of essay that focuses on exploring and analyzing a central theme within a piece of literature, a historical event, or any other subject matter. The primary goal of a thematic essay is to delve into the theme’s significance and how it relates to the overall meaning or message of the work or event being examined.

Unlike a summary essay that recounts the main events or plot points, a thematic essay requires the writer to go beyond the surface level and uncover the deeper, underlying ideas central to the work. This type of essay challenges the writer to critically analyze the explored theme’s literary devices, historical context, or broader implications.

The Purpose of a Thematic Essay

The primary purpose of a thematic essay is to demonstrate the writer’s ability to critically analyze a central theme and explore its deeper significance within a larger work or context. By focusing on a specific theme, the writer can delve into the nuances and complexities of the subject matter, showcasing their analytical skills and depth of understanding.

Additionally, writing a thematic essay can help students develop critical thinking and communication skills, as they must carefully select evidence, construct logical arguments, and **convey their ideas clearly and compellingly. This type of essay is often assigned in academic settings, as it prepares students for the rigors of higher-level analysis and scholarly discourse.

Environmental Studies Assignment Help

Looking for expert guidance? Click here to explore our Environmental Studies Assignment Help and ace your assignments with ease!

How to Write a Thematic Essay: Step-By-Step

Crafting a compelling thematic essay requires a systematic approach. In the sections below, we’ll detail each process step – from choosing a thought-provoking theme to polishing your final draft. Get ready to dive deep, analyze critically, and produce a compelling thematic essay.

Step 1: How to choose a thematic essay topic

Selecting the right thematic essay topic is crucial to the success of your piece. When choosing a topic, look for themes that are rich in complexity and offer ample room for analysis and interpretation. Consider subjects that pique your interest and allow you to delve into the deeper meanings and significance behind the central idea.

Some key factors to consider when choosing a thematic essay topic include the depth of the theme, the available evidence or research material, and the potential for original insights or new interpretations. Avoid too broad or narrow topics, as this can make it difficult to **develop a focused and coherent essay.

Expand your writing toolkit and discover effective techniques for brainstorming college essay topics in just 15 minutes by checking out our insightful article.

Sample Topics for Thematic Essays

There are countless possibilities when it comes to thematic essay topics. Some popular examples include:

• The theme of power in George Orwell’s “Animal Farm”
• The significance of the theme of isolation in Emily Brontë’s “Wuthering Heights.”
• The role of gender and identity in Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”
• The theme of revenge and its consequences in Ódýn’s “Njál’s Saga”
• The exploration of the theme of morality in Dostoevsky’s “Crime and Punishment.”

Explore our comprehensive guide on Coming Up With Essay Topic Ideas for valuable insights and inspiration in crafting your next thematic essay.

Step 2: Thematic Essay Outline

I. Introduction    A. Hook: Unexpected statement or intriguing question to grab the reader’s attention    B. Background information on the theme and the work/event being analyzed    C. Thesis statement: Clear and concise argument about the significance of the theme

II. Theme Exploration    A. Body Paragraph 1       1. Topic sentence introducing the first main point about the theme       2. Evidence from the work/event to support the main point       3. Analysis of the evidence and how it relates to the thesis statement    B. Body Paragraph 2        1. Topic sentence introducing the second main point about the theme       2. Evidence from the work/event to support the main point       3. Analysis of the evidence and how it relates to the thesis statement    C. Body Paragraph 3       1. Topic sentence introducing the third main point about the theme       2. Evidence from the work/event to support the main point       3. Analysis of the evidence and how it relates to the thesis statement

III. Conclusion     A. Restatement of the thesis statement     B. Summary of the main points discussed in the essay     C. Reflection on the overall significance of the theme and its broader implications

Step 3: Research and Analysis

A. Conducting Thorough Research on the Chosen Theme

The foundation of a strong thematic essay lies in the research you conduct on the chosen theme. This involves gathering information from various credible sources, such as academic journals, literary critiques, historical documents, and primary sources. By immersing yourself in the relevant literature and data, you can develop a deep understanding of the theme and its broader context.

B. Taking Notes and Organizing Information

As you conduct your research, taking detailed notes and organizing the information to support your analysis is crucial. This may involve creating an outline, categorizing your findings by key themes or concepts, or using a note-taking system that helps you make connections between different sources. Effective note-taking and organization will ensure you have a solid foundation to build your thematic essay.

C. Analyzing the Key Ideas and Concepts within the Theme

Once you’ve gathered your research, it’s time to analyze the key ideas and concepts that underpin the theme. This may involve examining the literary devices used by the author, exploring the historical context of the work or event, or considering the broader societal implications of the theme. You can develop a nuanced and compelling argument in your thematic essay by critically analyzing the elements contributing to the theme’s significance.

Critical Thinking Writing Service

Unlock your potential with our Critical Thinking Writing Service - the ultimate solution for crafting compelling arguments and outsmarting the competition!

Step 4: How to Find and Explore the Central Theme

When writing a theme essay, the key is to effectively identify, explore, and analyze the central theme of a work or event. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do so:

A. Identifying the Main Subject or Idea- The first step in writing a theme essay is to identify the main subject or idea that permeates the work or event you’re examining. This may involve closely reading the text , reviewing historical accounts, or critically analyzing the key elements of the work or event. Look for recurring motifs, dominant ideas, or overarching concepts that seem to drive the narrative or progression of the subject matter.

B. Recognizing Patterns, Symbolism, and Literary Devices-

As you examine the main subject or idea, pay close attention to the literary devices, symbols, and patterns that the author or historical figures may have used to convey the central theme. These elements can provide valuable insights into the theme’s deeper meanings and significance.

C. Analyzing the Relationship Between the Theme and the Broader Context –

Once you’ve identified the central theme and recognized the various literary or historical devices used to explore it, consider how the theme relates to the broader context of the work or event. This may involve examining the historical setting, cultural influences, or societal norms that shaped the development and portrayal of the theme.

D. Considering the Implications and Significance of the Theme

Finally, I will delve into the implications and significance of the central theme. Analyze how the theme relates to universal human experiences, moral and ethical dilemmas, or societal and cultural issues. Consider how the theme challenges or reinforces prevailing beliefs, values, or perspectives.

Step 5: Creating a Thesis Statement

Developing the Thematic Statement

At the heart of any thematic essay is a strong thesis statement . This statement should set the tone for your entire essay, clearly outlining your central argument or interpretation of the theme. Your thematic statement should be concise yet specific, capturing the essence of your theme and the significance you plan to explore.

When crafting your thematic statement, consider the following:

• What is the main argument you want to make about the theme?
• How does the theme relate to the broader context or message of the work or event?
• What specific insight or interpretation do you want to offer the reader?

By addressing these questions, you can develop a thematic statement as the foundation for your analysis essay.

Ensuring a Clear and Concise Thesis 

Your thesis statement should be clear and concise, leaving no ambiguity about the central focus of your thematic essay. Avoid vague or overly broad statements, and instead, craft a thesis that directly addresses the theme and its significance.

Using the Thesis to Guide the Essay

Once you’ve crafted your thematic statement, it should serve as the guiding principle for the rest of your essay. Each body paragraph should focus on a specific point or aspect of the theme, with topic sentences that introduce the main idea and evidence that supports your thesis.

In the thematic essay conclusion, you’ll restate your thesis statement and summarize the main points you’ve made throughout the essay. This concluding section should reflect on the theme’s overall significance and broader implications.

Tips for Writing a Perfect Thematic Essay Thesis

Here are some additional tips to help you write a quality thesis statement for your thematic essay:

• Start with the essay prompt : Ensure your thesis addresses the question or theme you’ve been asked to explore.
• Be specific : Avoid vague or overly broad statements; instead, focus on a particular aspect of the theme.
• Use clear language : Craft a thesis statement that is easy to understand and leaves no room for ambiguity.
• Connect to the broader context : Demonstrate how the theme relates to the larger work, event, or societal context.
• Revise and refine : Don’t be afraid to revisit and refine your thesis as you write it.

Step 6: How to Write an Essay about Theme Analysis?

The Thematic Essay Introduction

The introductory paragraph of your thematic essay is crucial in setting the tone and capturing the reader’s attention. Begin with a hook statement – an unexpected or intriguing question that piques the reader’s interest. Then, provide the necessary background information about the particular theme and the work or event you’re examining.

Finally, present your thesis statement – the central argument guiding the essay. Your thesis statement should set the stage for the rest of your thematic paper, clearly outlining your interpretation of the theme and the significance you plan to explore.

The Thematic Essay Body Paragraphs

The main body of your thematic essay should consist of three to five paragraphs; each focused on a specific point or aspect of the theme. Use topic sentences to introduce the main idea of each paragraph, and then support those ideas with relevant examples and evidence from your research.

As you review the essay, analyze the evidence and explain how it relates to your thesis statement. This in-depth analysis is crucial in demonstrating your critical thinking skills and providing a compelling argument about the significance of the theme.

The Thematic Essay Conclusion

In the concluding paragraph of your thematic essay, restate your thesis statement and summarize the main points you’ve made throughout the essay. Offer a concluding statement reflecting the theme’s significance and broader implications or applications.

Remember, the key to a successful thematic essay is to go beyond mere Summary and delve into the deeper meanings and significance of the theme you’ve explored. Following a clear and structured approach can create a thematic essay that flows logically, presents a strong argument, and showcases your analytical abilities.

“Discover the secrets to crafting a captivating essay conclusion paragraph by exploring our comprehensive article on effective conclusion writing techniques.”

Tips for Writing a Thematic Essay

Here are some additional tips to help you write a thematic essay:

• Understand the prompt : Ensure you understand the question or theme you’re being asked to explore.
• Create a detailed outline : Develop a comprehensive outline to organize your thoughts and guide the structure of your essay.
• Use specific examples : Incorporate specific examples from the work or event you’re analyzing to support your arguments.
• Analyze, don’t summarize : Focus on analyzing the theme, exploring its significance, and connecting it to the broader context.
• Revise and edit : Carefully review your essay for clarity, coherence, and organization, and seek feedback from peers or instructors.

Step 7: Editing and Revising

Reviewing the Essay for Clarity, Coherence, and Organization

Once you’ve completed the first draft of your thematic essay, it’s time to review it for clarity, coherence, and organization. This involves reading through the essay with a critical eye , ensuring that your ideas flow logically from one paragraph to the next and that your overall argument is clear and well-supported.

Pay close attention to your essay’s structure, ensuring that your introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion all work together to present a cohesive and compelling theme analysis. Evaluate whether your thesis statement effectively guides the rest of the essay and if your topic sentences and supporting evidence properly align with your central argument.

Checking for Grammar and Spelling Errors

In addition to reviewing the content and structure of your essay, it’s crucial to proofread it for grammar or spelling errors. These small mistakes can detract from the overall quality of your writing and undermine the credibility of your analysis.

Take the time to carefully read through your essay, checking for typos, incorrect word usage, and grammatical issues. You may also want to utilize online grammar-checking tools or enlist the help of a peer or instructor to identify any areas that need further editing.

Seeking Feedback from Peers or Instructors

Finally, consider seeking feedback from peers or instructors who can provide an outside perspective on your thematic essay. Their input can be invaluable in identifying any areas that need further development, clarification, or refinement.

Share your essay with trusted individuals, and ask them to provide constructive criticism on the strength of your argument, the clarity of your writing, and the overall effectiveness of your analysis. Incorporate their suggestions into your final revisions, and use this feedback to improve the quality of your thematic essay.

Essay Editing Services | Proofreading Service

Unlock the full potential of your writing with our Essay Editing Services | Proofreading Service – your key to polished, professional essays that stand out

Thematic Essay Example

Thematic Analysis of Power Dynamics in George Orwell’s “Animal Farm”

Example Thematic Essay: A Thematic Analysis of Resilience in Khaled Hosseini’s “The Kite Runner”

Thematic Essay Sample on Resilience in Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Thematic Essay Introduction Example

Takeaway on how to write a good thematic essay.

In the end, we have extensively discussed how to write thematic essay. Thematic essay writing requires a deep dive into the central theme of a work or event, leveraging research, critical analysis, and a well-structured approach. You can develop a strong thesis statement that guides the entire essay by identifying the main subject, recognizing the key literary devices or historical elements that shape the theme, and exploring its broader significance. In thematic essay format, the introduction should hook the reader, provide necessary background information, and present your central argument, while the body paragraphs delve into specific points supported by evidence and analysis. Finally, the conclusion reinforces your thesis, summarizes the main ideas, and reflects on the overall importance of the theme. With practice, dedication, and a commitment to the writing process, you can master the art of the thematic essay and produce a polished, insightful piece that showcases your critical thinking skills. So, explore your chosen theme, and let your analysis shine.

Get Help With Your Thematic Essay Paper

Essay Freelance Writers is the best in the industry for providing help with thematic essay papers. Our team of experienced writers can assist you in crafting a well-written and thoroughly researched essay that effectively addresses your chosen theme. Whether you need help brainstorming ideas, outlining your paper, or polishing your final draft, our experts are here to support you every step. Please place your order today by clicking the ORDER NOW button above to get our expert writing help and take the stress out of writing your thematic essay.

Thematic Essay FAQs

What is a thematic essay structure.

A thematic essay structure typically includes an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. The introduction introduces the main theme and provides a thesis statement. The body paragraphs elaborate on the theme using examples and analysis, with each body paragraph focusing on a different aspect of the theme. Finally, the conclusion restates the thesis statement and summarizes the key points discussed in the essay.

How do you start a thematic analysis essay?

Select a theme or topic to explore to start a thematic analysis essay. Then, develop a thesis statement that presents your essay’s main theme or argument. Use examples and evidence to support your analysis throughout the essay, and ensure that your essay flows logically from start to finish.

What is an example of a theme in an essay?

An example of a theme in an essay could be love, where the author explores different aspects of love, such as romantic love, familial love, or spiritual love. The main theme of love can be analyzed through the essay’s characters’ interactions, dialogue, and relationships.

How do you start an essay theme?

To start an essay theme, begin with a strong opening sentence that introduces your essay’s main theme or topic. Use the first sentence to grab the reader’s attention and set the tone for the rest of the essay. Ensure your essay is based on a clear thesis statement reflecting the main theme you want to explore.

With a passion for helping students navigate their educational journey, I strive to create informative and relatable blog content. Whether it’s tackling exam stress, offering career guidance, or sharing effective study techniques

People Also Read

• How to Write a College Essay (College Essay Examples Included)
• How to Write a Proposal Essay (Proposal Essay Examples Included)
• 16 Easy Argumentative Essay Examples for Students

Most Popular Articles

Racism thesis statement example, how to rephrase a thesis statement, capstone project topic suggestions, how to write an abortion essay, should students wear school uniforms essay, list causal essay topics write, respect essay, signal words, great synonyms, informative speech examples, essay writing guide, introduction paragraph for an essay, argumentative essay writing, essay outline templates, write an autobiographical essay, personal narrative essay ideas, descriptive essay writing, how to write a reflective-essay, how to write a lab report abstract, how to write a grant proposal, point of view in an essay, debate topics for youth at church, theatre research paper topics, privacy overview.

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

Student Opinion

100-Plus Writing Prompts to Explore Common Themes in Literature and Life

By The Learning Network

• Jan. 31, 2019

Update, Feb. 15, 2019: Learn more about how to use our 1000s of writing prompts by watching our free on-demand webinar: “ Give Them Something to Write About: Teach Across the Curriculum With New York Times-Inspired Daily Prompts. ”

Every day since 2009 we’ve been asking students a question inspired by an article, essay, video or feature in The New York Times.

Periodically, we sort those questions into lists to make finding what you need easier, like these previous lists of prompts for personal or narrative writing and for argumentative writing , or like this monster list of more than 1,000 prompts , all categorized by subject.

This time, however, we’re making a list to help your students more easily connect the literature they’re reading to the world around them — and to help teachers find great works of nonfiction that can echo common literary themes.

Below, we’ve chosen the best prompts — those that ask the most relevant questions and link to the richest Times materials — from our Student Opinion collection that address every stage of life, from coming-of-age and wrestling with one’s identity to understanding one’s role in a family; making friends; getting an education; falling in love; working; and experiencing old age. We hope they can provide jumping-off points for discussion and writing, and inspiration for further reading.

Most teachers know that our Student Opinion questions are free and outside The Times’s digital subscription service, but what you may not realize is that if you access the Times articles we link to from those questions via our site, the articles are also free. So in this list we hope we’re not just suggesting 100-plus interesting questions, we hope we’ve also helped you find 100-plus great works of nonfiction that can speak to the literature your students are reading.

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and  log into  your Times account, or  subscribe  for all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber?  Log in .

Want all of The Times?  Subscribe .

Definition and Examples of Theme-Writing

Glossary of Grammatical and Rhetorical Terms

• An Introduction to Punctuation
• Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
• M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
• B.A., English, State University of New York

Theme-writing refers to the conventional writing assignments (including five-paragraph essays ) required in many composition classes since the late-19th century. Also called school writing .

In his book The Plural I: The Teaching of Writing (1978), William E. Coles, Jr., used the term themewriting  (one word) to characterize empty, formulaic writing that is "not meant to be read but corrected." Textbook authors, he said, present writing "as a trick that can be played, a device that can be put into operation . . . just as one can be taught or learn to run an adding machine, or pour concrete."

Examples and Observations:

• "The use of themes has been maligned and vilified in the history of writing instruction. They have come to represent what was bad about the Harvard model, including an obsession with 'correcting' the themes in red ink, but the women's colleges typically used themes to get students writing regular essays based on common topics . . . . Theme writing , as David Russell notes in Writing in the Academic Disciplines, 1870-1990 , continued to be a model for required composition courses at small liberal arts colleges much longer than it did in the larger universities, in large part because the universities could no longer keep up with the labor-intensive practice of having students write multiple essays over the course of a semester or year." (Lisa Mastrangelo and Barbara L'Eplattenier, "'Is It the Pleasure of This Conference to Have Another?': Women's Colleges Meeting and Talking About Writing in the Progressive Era." Historical Studies of Writing Program Administration , ed. by B. L'Eplattenier and L. Mastrangelo. Parlor Press, 2004)
• Camille Paglia on Essay Writing as a Form of Repression "[T]he present concentration on essay writing at the heart of the humanities curriculum is actually discriminatory against people of other cultures and classes. I think it's a game. It's very, very obvious to me, having been teaching for so many years as a part-timer, teaching factory workers and teaching auto mechanics and so on, the folly of this approach. You teach them how to write an essay. It's a game . It's a structure. Speak of social constructionism! It's a form of repression. I do not regard the essay as it's presently constituted as in any way something that came down from Mount Sinai brought by Moses." (Camille Paglia, "The M.I.T. Lecture."  Sex, Art, and American Culture . Vintage, 1992)
• English A at Harvard "Harvard's standard, required composition course was English A, first given in sophomore year and then, after 1885, moved to the first year. . . . In 1900-01 writing assignments included a mix of daily themes, which were brief two- or three-paragraph sketches, and more extended fortnightly themes; topics were up to the student and thus varied widely, but the dailies usually asked for personal experience while the longer ones covered a mix of general knowledge." (John C. Brereton, "Introduction." The Origins of Composition Studies in the American College, 1875-1925 . Univ. of Pittsburgh Press, 1995)
• Theme Writing at Harvard (Late 19th Century) "When I was an undergraduate at Harvard our instructors in English composition endeavored to cultivate in us a something they termed 'The daily theme eye.' . . . "Daily themes in my day had to be short, not over a page of handwriting. They had to be deposited in a box at the professor's door not later than ten-five in the morning. . . . And because of this brevity, and the necessity of writing one every day whether the mood was on you or not, it was not always easy--to be quite modest--to make these themes literature, which, we were told by our instructors, is the transmission through the written word, from writer to reader, of a mood, an emotion, a picture, an idea." (Walter Prichard Eaton, "Daily Theme Eye." The Atlantic Monthly , March 1907)
• The Chief Benefit of Theme-Writing (1909) "The chief benefit derived from theme-writing lies probably in the instructor's indication of errors in the themes and his showing how these errors are to be corrected; for by these means the student may learn the rules that he is inclined to violate, and thus may be helped to eliminate the defects from his writing. Hence it is important that the errors and the way to correct them be shown to the student as completely and clearly as possible. For instance, suppose that a theme contains the sentence 'I have always chosen for my companions people whom I thought had high ideals.' Suppose the instructor points out the grammatical fault and gives the student information to this effect: 'An expression such as he says, he thinks , or he hears interpolated in a relative clause does not affect the case of the subject of the clause. For example, "The man who I thought was my friend deceived me" is correct; "who" is the subject of "was my friend"; "I thought" is a parenthesis which does not affect the case of "who." In your sentence, "whom" is not the object of "thought," but the subject of "had high ideals"; it should therefore be in the nominative case .' From this information the student is likely to get more than the mere knowledge that the 'whom' in this particular case should be changed to 'who'; he is likely to learn a principle, the knowledge of which--if he will remember it--will keep him from committing similar errors in future. "But the theme from which one sentence is quoted above contains fourteen other errors; and the forty-nine other themes which the instructor is to hand back to-morrow morning contain among them about seven hundred and eighty-five more. How shall the instructor, as he indicates these eight hundred errors, furnish the information called for by each one? Obviously he must use some kind of shorthand." (Edwin Campbell Woolley, The Mechanics of Writing . D.C. Heath, 1909)
• Motifs in Fiction and Nonfiction
• Learn How to Use Extended Definitions in Essays and Speeches
• What Is a Synopsis and How Do You Write One?
• Using Flashback in Writing
• Definition and Examples of Science Writing
• A Guide to All Types of Narration, With Examples
• What Does It Mean to Be a Writer?
• Definition and Examples of Analysis in Composition
• Definition and Examples of Lexicography
• Models of Composition
• Understanding Subtext
• Bombast in Speech and Writing
• Definition and Examples of Progymnasmata in Rhetoric
• lexicographer

How to Write a Personal Narrative: A Step-by-Step Guide

“As I sat down to write this article, memories flooded back, each one a brushstroke in the painting of my past…”

That could be the beginning of your personal narrative. Writing it lets you turn your memories and experiences into stories that click with others. This type of writing goes beyond school assignments or essays for college applications; it’s a chance to get really good at sharing your life's events in ways that matter. 

In this article, we're going to explore what personal narratives are all about and guide you through a simple seven-step process to create your own. You’ll learn how to pull out moments that make your story stand out and how to tweak your writing until it’s just right. We’ve got practical examples for you to follow along, making sure you have everything you need to tell your story. 

What is a Personal Narrative?

A personal narrative is a way to tell your own story. It's a style of writing that puts your experiences front and center, inviting readers into your world. Teachers often assign personal narratives to encourage free, expressive writing. 

The personal narrative definition is wider than academic settings, though. . These narratives can also show potential employers who you are beyond your resume. At its core, writing a personal narrative is a form of storytelling, using a first-person perspective to bring real-life tales to life. Whether it's for a grade, a job, or just for fun, it's about getting your story out there.

Your Story, Perfected

Let our experts refine your personal narrative, making sure every detail shines and your story is both clear and impactful.

How to Write a Personal Narrative: Steps

In this section, we'll break down the process into manageable steps, starting with how to zero in on the right topic that speaks about who you are.

Step 1. Choosing a Personal Narrative Topic

The first step in crafting your personal narrative is picking the perfect topic. It should be something meaningful to you, something that has not just happened, but also shaped who you are or has a significant story behind it. Here’s how to frame your personal narrative ideas:

• Story Arc : Your narrative is like a mini-movie. Start with setting the scene, build up to the main event, and wrap up with a reflection. For example, if you’re writing about your first solo travel experience, begin with your initial feelings, describe the challenges you faced, and end with what you learned about yourself.
• Thematic Focus : Instead of moving through time, center your narrative around a central theme. Maybe it’s about resilience, and you could link different times you had to be resilient, ending with a major life challenge.
• A Day to Remember : Sometimes a single day can tell a lot about you. Pick a day that was particularly memorable and unpack it from start to finish. Maybe it was a seemingly ordinary day that brought unexpected lessons or joys.

Step 2. Working on Your Personal Narrative Outline

When putting together your personal narrative, starting with a solid outline can help keep your story on track. Here's how you can lay it all out:

• Introduction: Kick things off with a hook that grabs attention, like an intriguing question or a vivid snapshot of a key moment. Set the scene and introduce the main theme.
• Setting and Characters : Give a good sense of where your story is unfolding and who's involved. Paint a clear picture of the backdrop and the key people.
• Plot Development : Lay out the events in the order they happened, or group them around major themes. Build up to your main event, adding conflicts or challenges as you go.
• Climax : This is the high point of your story, where everything comes to a head. Make it a moment that has the most impact.
• Resolution : Wrap up the main storyline, showing how things settled down after the climax.
• Reflection : Spend some time reflecting on what happened. Share what you learned or how you changed because of the experience.

If you're looking for help crafting your personal narrative, consider checking out some legit essay writing services to get professional guidance.

Step 3. Writing the First Draft of Your Personal Narrative

Now let’s move on to the fun part! Don't worry about getting everything perfect right away — the first draft’s goal is to let your story flow naturally:

• Start with Your Hook: Revisit the introduction you outlined and flesh it out. Begin with the attention-grabbing sentence that will make readers want to continue.
• Let the Story Unfold: Follow your outline, but allow yourself some flexibility. As you write, new memories or details may come to mind. Embrace them! Think about what you saw, heard, and felt during these moments. Were you sitting in a sunlit room, listening to the hum of a busy street outside? Maybe you felt the chill of an autumn breeze? 
• Stay True to Your Voice: This is your story, so let your unique voice shine through. Whether you're humorous, reflective, or serious, maintain a consistent tone that feels authentically you. Keep the tone conversational and straightforward, as if you’re telling this story to a friend. 

Once the first personal narrative draft is done, set it aside for a bit before revisiting it with fresh eyes.

Step 4. Revising Your Personal Narrative

Once the first personal narrative draft is done, set it aside for a bit before revisiting it with fresh eyes:

• Tighten Up the Story : As you go through your draft, focus on making everything clear and to the point. If you’ve talked about how nervous you were before a big event more than once, try to combine those thoughts into one powerful sentence that really captures how you felt.
• Keep Your Tone Consistent : Make sure your voice stays the same throughout the story. If you start off with a casual, conversational tone, like saying, “I couldn’t shake the nerves before my big test,” stick with that style instead of suddenly becoming formal later on.
• Adjust the Pacing : Pay attention to how smoothly your story flows from one part to the next. When you’re describing a key moment, like meeting someone important or going through a major experience, give it the detail and time it deserves. Let those moments develop naturally without rushing.
• Enhance Your Descriptions : Make your imagery more vivid to help the reader visualize your story. For example, instead of just saying, “The room was noisy,” you could say, “The room buzzed with excited chatter.” These small tweaks can make your story feel more alive and engaging.

Step 5. Adding Personal Touches

As you polish your personal narrative, focus on making it uniquely yours. You can include personal reflections on your experiences. For example, if you’re writing about a challenging project, discuss not just the struggle but how it impacted you personally and professionally.

Besides, add unique details that only you can share. Instead of generic descriptions, use specific anecdotes or sensory details, like how the scent of freshly baked cookies from your grandmother's kitchen made you feel nostalgic.

Last but not least, incorporate dialogues or direct quotes from people involved in your story to add authenticity and depth. For instance, if your mentor gave you advice, include their exact words to capture the moment’s impact. This approach will help you understand how to write a personal narrative that is both engaging and deeply personal.

Not sure where to begin? You can always buy a narrative essay from experts who can help shape your story.

Step 6: Editing for Clarity and Style

When you’re editing your personal narratives, the goal is to make sure everything flows smoothly and makes sense. Here’s how to get it just right:

• Clarify Your Message: Check for any parts of your story that might be a bit confusing. If you talked about being excited about a project and then suddenly shifted to its challenges, make sure to connect these thoughts clearly. For instance, you might rephrase it as “I was excited about the project, but I soon faced some unexpected challenges, like tight deadlines.”
• Simplify Complex Sentences: Break down long or complicated sentences. Instead of saying, “My enthusiasm for the project, which was incredibly high despite the difficulties I faced, was the driving force behind my perseverance,” you could simplify it to, “Even though the project was tough, my excitement kept me going.”
• Smooth Transitions: Check how your paragraphs and sections flow together. If you jump from describing a problem to the solution without a clear link, add a transition. For example, “After struggling with the project’s challenges, I realized that asking my mentor for help was the key to overcoming the obstacles.”

Oh, and read your narrative out loud. This can help you spot any awkward phrases or spots where the story might be a bit choppy. It’s a great way to catch any issues and make those final tweaks to get everything just right.

Personal Narrative Prompts

Here are ten personal narrative prompts to get you thinking about different moments in your life:

Need more tips on how to get started? Check out this guide on how to start a narrative essay to kick off your writing with a strong opening.

Personal Narrative Examples

Here are a few personal narrative beginnings to spark your creativity. These snippets are designed to get you started and inspire your own storytelling.

Wrapping Up

As you finish up your story, think about how those moments shaped who you are today. It's not just about what happened, but how it changed you. When learning how to write a personal narrative, it’s important to focus on the moments that truly matter to you and tell them in your own voice. This way, your narrative can really connect with others. 

Remember, the best stories come straight from the heart, so trust yourself and let your experiences shine through!

If you're working on a personal statement, you might want to explore a personal statement service that can help you create a compelling narrative.

Turn Memories into Masterpieces

Let us transform your experiences into a beautifully crafted narrative that stands out and makes an impact.

How to Start a Personal Narrative?

Can a personal narrative be about anything, what is the format of a personal narrative.

Daniel Parker

is a seasoned educational writer focusing on scholarship guidance, research papers, and various forms of academic essays including reflective and narrative essays. His expertise also extends to detailed case studies. A scholar with a background in English Literature and Education, Daniel’s work on EssayPro blog aims to support students in achieving academic excellence and securing scholarships. His hobbies include reading classic literature and participating in academic forums.

is an expert in nursing and healthcare, with a strong background in history, law, and literature. Holding advanced degrees in nursing and public health, his analytical approach and comprehensive knowledge help students navigate complex topics. On EssayPro blog, Adam provides insightful articles on everything from historical analysis to the intricacies of healthcare policies. In his downtime, he enjoys historical documentaries and volunteering at local clinics.

• The New York Times. (2020, January 7). Personal Narrative Essay Winners. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/07/learning/personal-narrative-essay-winners.html

Smithsonian Voices

From the Smithsonian Museums

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

National Portrait Gallery Announces Winner of the 2024 Director’s Essay Prize for Scholars in the Field of Portraiture

Laura Katzman Receives $3,000 and Will Present Lecture Oct. 15

Gabrielle Obusek

The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery has announced Laura Katzman, professor of art history at James Madison University, as the winner of its 2024 Director’s Essay Prize. Her essay, “Lorenzo Homar’s Cine Alba : An Intimate Portrait of North American Artists in Nineteen-Fifties Puerto Rico,” was chosen for its interdisciplinary contributions to the fields of American art, biography, history and cultural identity. The text was published in the book  La mirada en construcción: Ensayos sobre cultura visual (2022), which was edited by José Orlando Sued and René Rodríguez-Ramírez.

Founded in 2019, the Director’s Essay Prize fosters leading research in the field of visual biography and American portraiture. The 2024 prize was juried by PORTAL, the Portrait Gallery’s scholarly center. Its advisors include Martha S. Jones, the Society of Black Alumni Presidential Professor, professor of history and a professor at the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University, and Julio Capó, associate professor of history at Florida International University.

“In mining numerous public and private archives, Katzman unveils new understandings and an astute analysis of the work, the artist and his subjects and their lives. In so doing, she offers a nuanced reading of the work and demonstrates how it reflects key social, political and cultural moments in Puerto Rican history and, especially, its place in cultural nationalism. Katzman’s engaging, beautifully written essay is a masterwork in interdisciplinary research and analysis, and the text will serve as an excellent model for future works on portraiture.”

Katzman was the Terra Foundation Visiting Professor at the Freie Universität Berlin from 2018 to 2019 and served as a postdoctoral fellow at the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Research and Scholars Center. An internationally recognized scholar of 20th-century documentary photography on the U.S. continent and in Puerto Rico, she curated the widely acclaimed retrospective “Ben Shahn, On Nonconformity” for the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía in Madrid (2023–2024). She is the editor of The Museum of the Old Colony: An Art Installation by Pablo Delano , principal author of Re-viewing Documentary: The Photographic Life of Louise Rosskam, and co-author of the award-winning Ben Shahn’s New York: The Photography of Modern Times . Katzman’s current research examines a post-World War II photographic archive that U.S. artists created for the Puerto Rican government at a time of profound industrial transformation in the Caribbean nation and in the context of its complex colonial relations with the United States.

“The Director’s Essay Prize offers the exciting opportunity to bring wider attention to the extraordinary work of Lorenzo Homar and his collaborations with North American artists at a critical period in Cold War history—a fateful moment for Puerto Rico’s ambiguous political status, distinct cultural identities and long-standing struggles for self-determination.”

Katzman will deliver a lecture on her prize-winning essay , “Lorenzo Homar’s Cine Alba: An Intimate Portrait of North American Artists in Nineteen-Fifties Puerto Rico” Tuesday, Oct. 15, at 5:30 p.m. in the Nan Tucker McEvoy Auditorium at the National Portrait Gallery, Eighth and G Streets N.W., Washington, D.C.

The Director’s Essay Prize complements the Portrait Gallery’s Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition , a triennial juried contemporary art exhibition established in 2006. The prize is specifically dedicated to supporting the next wave of written scholarship on portraiture.    

Gabrielle Obusek | READ MORE

Gabrielle Obusek is the public affairs specialist for the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery.