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All 10 Flashcards — Theme vs message
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Question
What is a theme?
Answer
The broad topic a text is about — a word or two (e.g. freedom, technology).
Question
What is a message?
Answer
The specific point or opinion a text makes about its theme — a full sentence.
Question
What's the quick test to tell theme from message?
Answer
One or two words = theme; a sentence with an opinion = message.
Question
Give a theme and a matching message.
Answer
Theme: courage. Message: 'Real courage is being scared and acting anyway.'
Question
What question finds the theme?
Answer
'What is this mostly about?'
Question
What question finds the message?
Answer
'What does the writer want me to think or feel about it?'
Question
How do you check something is a message, not a topic?
Answer
See if you could argue with it — a real message can be disagreed with.
Question
Why isn't naming the theme enough for marks?
Answer
The credit comes from the message and from showing how choices build it.
Question
Is 'technology' a theme or a message?
Answer
A theme — it's a one-word topic.
Question
What builds the message in a text?
Answer
The writer's choices — the analysis shows how they create the point.
Read the notes
Full study notes for Theme vs message
Topic 1.1 hub
Understanding Analysis
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English A Lang & Lit exam skills
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