Central Idea

Questions to ask for central idea:

A story has a theme (subject) and a central idea (the comment the story makes on the subject). War is a common theme in short stories, but central ideas in various war stories vary. Some stories, such as Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, suggest war is hell; it can not be civilized, sanitized or romanticized. On the other hand, some war writers, such as Ernest Hemingway, suggest war is more heroic, and that it provides for a theatre for "real men" to prove themselves. You can agree or disagree with a central idea, but first you must be able to identify it. In order to understand the central idea of the story ask yourself the following questions :

What are the repeated images, words or expressions in the story? How does the title make sense in terms of the story. Is it significant? What is the subject of the story? (Theme) What comment does the story make on the theme? (Put this in terms of "a general statement on shared human exprience"). Does this statement make sense in light of the story and the title? Do you agree or disagree with the statement? Explain. Click here to practice analyzing Central Idea You will return to this page when finished.   When finished learning about Central Idea, click here to return to READING ASSIGNMENTS