Teaching Theme with “The Interlopers” by Saki
I read “The Interlopers” every year. Every year I’m enriched. Every year, some kid says, “I don’t get it. That was stupid!” Every year I’m called into the principal’s office for swearing at a student. This year will be different because I’ve got a great lesson plan for teaching theme.
I taught the elements of literature to my high school English students. I just knew they were all going to get A’s on the quiz. One person got an ‘A’. I think he cheated. Everybody else got D’s and F’s. In despair, I constructed a Freitag’s Pyramid out of sheet metal, and set it next to the boiler in the school dungeon in order to sear my face as punishment for not teaching the elements of literature very well. As I bent over to mark myself, I tripped and banged my head on the concrete. I woke up in my classroom with Freitag himself hovering above me.
“You must teach literary elements in context,” he said, “Teaching theme and plot and characters and conflict must be done with literature.” He left me some lesson plans. My favorite one was a theme lesson plan that involved teaching theme with “The Interlopers” by Saki.
I now share it with you.
ELA Common Core Standards Covered
The following assignments cover the following ELA common core standards for reading and writing. This is for your administrator, not your kids. Kids need student-friendly worded objectives.
- RL.9-10.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
- RL.9-10.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.
- RL.9-10.3 Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.
- RL.9-10.5 Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create such effects as mystery, tension, or surprise.
- W.9-10.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
Notes on Theme
Students should be familiar with the following information in order for your theme lesson plan to be effective:
- Theme is the central idea or message in a literary work. It is not the subject of the work (students often get the two definitions of “theme” confused). It is an observation about human life.
- Themes are rarely stated directly. They must be inferred.
- The theme is revealed by the way characters change in a story, conflicts in the story, and statements made by the narrator or characters.
- Understanding theme involves understanding plot, characters, and setting.
Strategies for Teaching Theme
I will use examples from “The Interlopers” by Saki to illustrate strategies for teaching theme.
1. Discuss Plot.
- Analyze cause and effect.
- Identify the main conflict and minor conflicts.
Example: The main conflict, Ulrich’s and Georg’s hatred for one another, puts them in a bind. Their misfortune causes them to realize their foolishness. The approaching wolves don’t care.
2. Analyze Character Motivation.
- Note which characters are dynamic and which are static.
- Look for evidence regarding character motives.
- Evaluate the characters’ personality.
Example: Ulrich and Georg are motivated by hatred initially. Their hatred softens and they become motivated by love. Their misfortune matures them quickly.
3. Visualize Setting.
- Evaluate what effect the setting has on the characters and on the mood of the story.
Example: The harsh setting reflects the harsh feelings of the two men. It forces each man’s character change and each man’s impending doom.
4. Recognize Theme:
- Note any sentences or sections that strike your fancy.
- Observe how characters change and what they learn.
- Look at the title.
Example: “There are better things in life than getting the better of a boundary dispute.”
Teaching Theme Lesson Plan Procedures
Once you have the notes ready, the lesson is easy.
- Copy down the above notes on theme.
- Read “The Interlopers” by Saki or any other short story.
- In small groups, implement strategies for recognizing theme. Students should take notes, including specific evidence from the story to use on an essay or paragraph.
- Write down information for recognizing theme.
- Write a paragraph discussing and analyzing theme in “The Interlopers.” The topic sentence should be an explicit statement of theme. The paragraph must include specific details from the story.
Assessment should take into account not just the student’s ability to write, but his or her ability to cite evidence from the short story, organize it, and draw conclusions based on it.
Other Learning Activities for “The Interlopers” and other Short Stories
1. Write a found poem. The following found poem comes from “The Necklace” by Maupassant. This forces students to collect evidence that supports a specific theme without them realizing it.
Unable to afford jewelry, she dressed simply.
She suffered constantly
She tossed the invitation on the table and muttered,
“We’ll have to replace the necklace.”
Her husband worked in the evenings and often at night as well.
Madame Loisel looked old now
And she smiled, full of proud, simple joy.
“And it took us ten years to pay for it.”
“Oh my poor Mathilde! Mine was false!”
2. Check out these lesson plans for teaching Frankenstein and adapt them to “The Interlopers” or similar stories. I recommend the one on irony and the one on suspense.
Short Story Guides
Teaching the Reading Literature Common Core Standards are easy with short stories.