What you'll learn
How to trace and analyse the central ideas of a text.
Theme
- A theme is a central idea explored in a text (e.g. love, power, conflict, identity).
- Writers develop themes through character, events, imagery and structure.
Analysing
- Track how a theme develops across the whole text.
- Support with evidence and link to the writer's methods.
Exam tips
- Focus on how the theme is presented, not just what it is.
- Range across the text for evidence.
Common mistakes
- Listing themes without analysis.
- Confusing a theme (idea) with the plot (events).