Theme Essay- Guidelines

Theme essays are written keeping a particular idea in mind. It may be the main plot around which a book or novel may be written. It may give out a message related to the human nature, or society in general, or it may be about life. The theme may be an universal idea, that is classical and timeless. Often the main idea or theme of a story may be implied, rather than being discussed implicitly. One will have to read the book or novel thoroughly to understand the underlying meaning and decipher the theme and then write a good essay.

One may be asked to write an essay on the theme “American Dream’ on the conditions of the early twentieth century illegal immigrants in America, and the social conditions during those times. ‘Great Gatsby’ is a popular theme essay in this respect. Another popular theme essay is the Holocaust. The popular novel given for students to study on this theme, is ‘Night’ by Elie Weasel. Another popular theme is feminism, for which the novel ‘Pride and Prejudice’ is an ideal choice.

Given below are excerpts from an essay on ‘Pride and Prejudice’

Introduction

Women in England, in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century, were seen as mere ornaments by the society. Their position in the family was like that of painted china dolls and all that they could do were getting themselves married off to men with respectable family names and plenty of money. This picture was evident in both the middle class and upper class sections of the society. It was a very clearly drawn picture where a family was seen as a basic pillar or foundation of the then society ……

Body

Education during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century was not a state organized or centrally controlled affair. It was run mainly by the churches in the locality or by charitable organizations where children of the middle and upper classes were not sent for education. At this time class distinction was at its peak, great stress being laid on family wealth and powerful connections. Children of the affluent class were imparted education at the privacy of their homes and women were mostly taught lessons that would help them to run their future homes, like practical lessons related to cookery, sewing, singing, dancing and religious classes. Teaching Greek and Latin were a privilege kept mainly for the boys and the very few grammar schools that did exist did not admit girls….

Conclusion

The female characters of “Pride and Prejudice”, barring Elizabeth showcases the concerns raised by Wollstonecraft as to how the lack of education turns them into “mere animals”. It is only Elizabeth, who stands up and transcends the petty social norms and represents feminist views of that era. Fortunately, society at present, except barring a few ultra conservative countries, sees men and women as equal. Women are free to….

This post originally appeared on http://essaywritingblog.com/handbook-for-essay-writers/theme-essay