Literary Conventions	Theme
Plot Style Free Indirect Discourse Theme Time and Space Conventions Spirituality Characterization   Selection List:   Works Examined: Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston Sula by Toni Morrison Meridian by Alice Walker   Literary Conventions   Questions and Exercises	"Theme" in literature refers to the major idea or pattern of thoughts in the work.  It is not easy to state the theme of a complex literary work because the theme includes a discussion of the characters, the action, and images.  They may also involve philosophical truths and lessons. The difficulty is clear if you try to articulate the themes of the novels Their Eyes Were Watching God, Sula, and Meridian.
	Program content by Violet Bryan,Ph.D. and Robin Vander