The theme is the central point or message that you want to communicate. It should serve as the focal point of your essay, and everything you write should be aimed at supporting, explaining, or illustrating the theme.
By identifying the theme, you can easily identify which ideas, thoughts, and examples to include and which to omit. If an idea, thought, or example supports, explains, or illustrates the theme, then it may be worth including. But if an idea, thought, or example does not support, explain, or illustrate the theme, we should omit it. It is irrelevant to the point we want to communicate, and when we include irrelevant information in our writing we only confuse the reader.
We have a choice regarding every word that we write. We should only write those words that will make our message easier to understand. And our theme is the message we are trying to communicate.
Just as there can be a lot of different ways to write about a topic, there are many possible themes. For example, in writing about the food in Mexico, a possible theme could be: The food in Mexico was very different from Mexican food in Houston. If this was your theme, then you would want to contrast the food in Mexico with what you have eaten in Houston. Or, your theme could be: The food in Mexico has unique flavors. If this was your theme, then you would want to focus on the spices, ingredients, or preparation methods that gave it a unique flavor.
Regardless of the theme you choose, it will provide direction and guidance. If your theme is about the food, then you will know that the beaches, mountains, and sites you visited aren’t relevant. They won’t contribute to your theme, and so, any thoughts or ideas you have about those details can be ignored.
Identifying the theme is crucial for every writing project, even those that will be completed in class. If you don’t know the main point that you want to communicate, your writing will easily jump from point to point as new ideas occur to you. Spending a few minutes to identify your theme before you begin writing will help you write more clearly and with greater focus.
If we want to communicate an idea to the reader, we must be clear in our own mind what that idea is. If we aren’t, our writing will reflect that fact and leave the reader confused. And when the reader is confused, we have not communicated effectively.
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