Differentiate between plot and theme from "summary" of Making Connections in Literature by Shawntel Chisholm,Rachel Culpepper,Michelle Johnson,Barbara Rooks
Plot and theme are two distinct elements in literature. Plot is the sequence of events that make up a story, while the theme is the underlying message or moral of the story.- Understanding the difference between plot and theme is crucial to enjoying literature. Plot is about the events that take place while theme is a statement about life or human nature implied by the story.
- Figuring out the plot of a story can be summarized simply as what happened, when it happened, and why it happened? On the other hand, discovering the themes in a story requires making more meaningful inferences related to characters' motives or certain persuasive messages within the text.
- While plot is concerned with the chronology of events, theme focuses on addressing deeper questions regarding patterns of behavior evoked by the actions of characters in the story.
- At times, a theme may be so closely entwined with the events surrounding it that the writer might not explicitly point it out. Just like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, readers need to interpret clues provided by the author and use them to deduce the underlying themes present in the narration.
