Understanding Fiction: Characters and Theme

Fiction, of course, is more than the sum of its parts. Great stories have the power to transport, to inspire, and to challenge. But before anyone can become a truly fluent reader — able to immerse herself in a book and appreciate every plot twist and character nuance — she must understand the basic elements of fiction. In an earlier post, I suggested ways to teach your child about plot. Today, we'll take a look at two equally important fictional elements: character and theme.

What do we remember most about a book, long after we've turned the final page? We remember the characters. An intriguing plot and an evocative, exotic setting go a long way toward cementing a story in our minds, but it's the characters who really make a story memorable.

When your child begins reading a new story, encourage him to keep track of the characters that populate that fictional world. He can do so by keeping a "character journal," which is a simple notebook with a fresh page for each character. On each page, he can keep track of that characters traits, flaws, and ambitions. This exercise is useful not only for keeping track of characters (of which there can be quite an abundant amount, particularly in fantasy books like the Harry Potter series), but it also helps him see how characters change over time. The idea of dynamic characters — people who start the story with one attitude but end it in a completely different mindset — is a very important concept.

Not only do characters add life, drama, and (frequently) humor to a story, but they also contribute to that story's theme. Remember what we just said about dynamic characters? That concept plays a big role in theme. For example, think about Dickens' classic A Christmas Carol. How does Scrooge change throughout the course of the tale? He starts out miserly and mean. But then, after being visited by ghosts and warned of his grim future, he realizes that the world would be a much better place if he treated those around him with kindness.

The idea that "kindness toward others is far more valuable than money" is one of A Christmas Carol's major themes, and that theme is made possible thanks to Scrooge's complex and dynamic character. Ask your child to think of other stories in which characters play a large role in the development of theme. When examining a story's theme, your child may find it useful to take notes in a simple graphic organizer. This organizer (a basic chart works best) identifies the theme at the top, and within each row of the chart, your child should fill in textual evidence that supports that theme.

While these activity ideas are basic and easy to implement, their impact on your child's understanding of major fictional elements can be huge. Understanding and appreciating fiction is such a big part of literacy — and a big part of understanding the world around us. If you would like to hire a tutor to help your child study the basics of fiction, you can find an excellent online tutor here.