November 13th, 2000 Short Story Final Exam Essay The Role of Theme in three stories Theme is the principal phrase or idea behind a story. It plays an important role in the notable accomplishment of Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery”, “The Open Boat” written by Stephen Crane, and “Battle Royal” by Ralph Ellison. Each of these stories portray an important and powerful theme which is a valuable contribution to the success of each work. “The Lottery” …showed first 75 words of 1092 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1092 total…and “Battle Royal” written by Ralph Ellison are three examples of how theme plays an important role in the success of a story. Identifying themes not only help make a story more powerful, but it also helps readers relate to the story. The theme may also teach a reader a valuable lesson or moral. These three short stories provided wonderful themes that can help every reader live a better life upon understanding. Bibliography None needed