6. Themes.

A story’s themes are best and most specifically expressed as complete sentences. Thus, rather than saying “one theme of Sonny’s Blues is suffering” or even “coping with suffering” we should be more precise and say: “One theme of Sonny’s Blues is that tragedy and suffering can be transformed into a communal art form such as blues music.” We might even go further to claim that blues music can be viewed as a catalyst for change, as the narrator begins to understand not only the music but also himself and his relationship with Sonny. Similarly, we might explore the theme of brotherhood in Sonny’s Blues, and suggest that the story implies that we are “our brother’s keepers,” and that a brotherly support amounts to more than control or coercion. It requires listening and true understanding.

Notice how the themes elaborated above are similar to thesis statements. That is, they make an assertion about the story, one that is not immediately obvious and one that requires development and explanation with evidence from the text

(the materials of Anne Fleischmann and Andy Jones’ lecture on Sonny’s Blues have been used above)