What is a theme?  It is an abstract idea which is expressed through a work of art.  A landscape painting might express beauty.  A song might be about love.  The story "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" portrays the author's opinion about honesty.

Possible literary themes to consider are listed below.  Your group will work together to choose one theme or a pair of either opposite or related themes.

Use your theme as a unifying focus for your group presentation.  For example, "This is a story of obstacles to ambition."   Another example: "This story portrays the importance of loyalty."

Your findings about your cultural specialty should support your theme or themes.  For example, "In the story of 'The Crane Wife,' the husband's ambition made him impatient to see his wife's work, with disastrous consequences.  In a similar way, Yoshitsune's ambition led him to take great risks in battle, and may have caused his death.  How can this attitude toward ambition help us to understand Japanese history past and present?"

The list and worksheet below can help you get started.