The theme of a story is the meaning, moral, or main message the writer wishes to share with the reader. This message or moral might be a lesson about life or an insight into human nature. Most themes are not stated directly; the reader must infer them from the details and events of the story. Different readers may find different themes within the same story. Themes can be revealed by
-thinking about the meaning of the title of the story
-skimming the story for key phrases and sentences about big ideas such as courage, freedom, or honesty
-examining how the main character changes or noting what he or she learns about life
