Category
📚
LearningTranscript
00:00ba ba ba ba...
00:09sshh...
00:12ba ba ba ba...
00:16I'll take the R2 unit.
00:19Beep.
00:20Come on, Moby, how many different takes do you need?!
00:24Beep.
00:25No, I don't want to switch roles.
00:28Dear Tim and Moby, How do I figure out the theme of a story, and why is finding the theme so important anyway?
00:36From Bob A.
00:38Thanks for the questions, Bob.
00:40A theme is a central message or idea woven into the action of a story.
00:45Themes give a story meaning by linking the fictional world with our own.
00:49They comment on issues from our everyday lives and from the wider culture.
00:54They're a huge part of what makes films and literature so fascinating.
00:59If you've ever read a fable, you already know a simple type of theme.
01:03Fables always include a moral, a lesson about life.
01:06Take the tortoise and the hare.
01:08The hare is always bragging about how fast he is, so the tortoise challenges him to a race.
01:13The hare is so confident, he stops to take a nap halfway through.
01:17Slowly, but surely, the tortoise passes the hare and wins.
01:21It might seem like the story is all about speed and running.
01:24The larger message is that patience and determination pay off.
01:28The race is used to communicate a lesson that can be applied to real life.
01:33Themes are usually more subtle in movies and novels.
01:37It's easy to be wowed by spaceships, aliens, and princesses.
01:41And those are essential parts of the Star Wars story.
01:45But to find the themes, we have to read between the lines.
01:50Well, not literally.
01:52We have to look for patterns or ideas that come up frequently.
01:56The repetition of a word or phrase is a good sign you're onto a theme.
02:00We call those recurring words or images motifs.
02:03The Force is one big motif in Star Wars.
02:06We learn more about its symbolic meaning each time it's mentioned.
02:11Well, like at the beginning, the Force seems to be just a magical power.
02:15But over the course of the series, we learn that it's much more than that.
02:19It's a universal energy that connects all living things.
02:22And a spiritual balance between light and darkness.
02:28Themes are often set up as pairs of opposing ideas.
02:31Like with the Force.
02:33At its most basic level, it represents the struggle between good and evil.
02:37But it's also about nature versus technology,
02:40the tension between instinct and logic,
02:43or the choice between freedom and destiny.
02:48They sound complicated, but those themes are all right there in the movie.
02:52We find them by analyzing the story elements.
02:55For example, we can examine lines of dialogue, what the characters say.
03:01Like when Darth Vader calls the Death Star a technological terror.
03:05Then he says the colossal weapon is nothing compared to the power of the Force.
03:10His comments set up technology and nature as opposing ideas.
03:19Plot, the action in a story, is another great place to hunt for themes.
03:28Okay, Moby Wan, I will use the Force.
03:33I will trust my intuition.
03:40Fush!
03:46We did it, R2! We destroyed the Death Star!
03:53Right, Luke is successful because he relies on the Force.
03:57His natural instincts are victorious over destructive technology.
04:02Well, in a great story, all the elements work together to support the themes.
04:06Look at the settings in Star Wars, where the action takes place.
04:10The Death Star is massive and spotless.
04:13Like a lot of advanced technology, it feels sinister and cold.
04:17Compare that with the Rebels' ships.
04:19They look and feel lived in, like a home.
04:25Even the costumes support that contrast.
04:28Stormtroopers wear masks, and their uniforms are totally rigid.
04:32They look more like machines than people.
04:35Compare that to the Rebel outfits, what we good guys wear.
04:38Our clothing is loose, comfy, and made of organic materials.
04:44Well, appearance is a key part of characterization.
04:47That's all the ways a character is portrayed.
04:50How he looks, speaks, thinks, and acts.
04:53Remember when we first meet Moby Wan?
04:56Remember when we first meet Moby Wan?
04:59He lives a simple life, not surrounded by gizmos and gadgets.
05:03He's a respected Jedi Master, but unlike the bad guys, he's humble and has a sense of humor.
05:12Yeah, those themes really resonate in today's high-tech world.
05:16Anyway, let's get this place cleaned up. Dad's gonna be home soon.
05:21What?
05:23You are my father?
05:27No!
05:31No!
05:36No!