by F. Scott Fitzgerald

1) Listen to the song “Glory” that was performed by John Legend and Common at the Oscars for the movie Selma about MLK. Read the lyrics while you listen to the song but please do not write on them.

2) On your worksheet, write: 1. The main idea-What is this song about? 2. Theme-What is a life lesson you can take from

this song?

Do Now:

What is a theme? Theme: -The meaning of a story, what it reveals about human nature

-Plot is what happens in the story, while theme is what it means. -Do not confuse the subject with the theme - theme has an opinion.

Example: Plot: young soldier fights his first battle

Subject : war, battle

Theme: war is useless; fighting solves nothing

Themes may appear also in movies, TV, songs, and other types of art.

Main Idea vs. Theme● Main idea-Answers the questions of what the story

about. What characters are involved? What events occur?

Ex. Edna wants to be independent, but then chooses

death. ● Theme-A life lesson from the story that is not specific to

the plot.

Ex. Cultural expectations can prevent women from

achieving independence.

The Do’s and Do Not’s of Writing Themes

● Do-write the theme in a sentence. ● Do-write a sentence about a life lesson or

opinion that applies to other works. ● Do not-start the sentence with a verb. This

is advice, not a theme. ● Do not write names, events, or plot specific

words that could not be applied to other texts.

Themes in Music

What are the major themes of these songs?

Exit:

● What themes did you identify while listening to the songs?

● What themes are emerging so far in Gatsby?