Response Question- Teaching Narrative Writing

Sarah Orosz

In chapter 11 (“Teaching Narrative Writing”) of Beth Neman’s book Teaching Students to Write, the reader is presented with a detailed overview of narrative writing complete with examples of how to teach the multiple components available under the umbrella that is narrative writing including: free writing, journal entries, personal narratives, and short stories as well as the central concepts of characterization, point of view, theme, and irony. Near the middle of the chapter, Neman begins discussing her definition of theme and she argues that “If we can say that fiction begins in conflict, then it ends in theme. And theme comes directly out of the resolution of the conflict (436); however, in the same paragraph Neman contradicts herself saying that theme “is the idea that informs every part of a story” (436). I severely disagree with Neman’s definition of theme because throughout my years in academia, I have been taught that a theme can appear at any time during a story (even the beginning) and remain evident throughout the duration of that story, so doesn’t it make more sense to state that a theme can be present in any part of the story and the resolution at the end is just the author’s final/closing remarks and thoughts related to that theme that they want the reader to ponder?