Comparing Two Stories With the Same Theme

Different stories can teach the same lesson in very different ways.

Stories from different places and times often share a theme. Comparing them helps you see the theme more clearly and notice how authors make different choices. To compare, look at the characters, setting, problem, and how each story shows the lesson. Story 1: A tortoise and a hare race. The hare is fast but naps, and the slow, steady tortoise wins. Story 2: Two students build birdhouses.

One rushes and finishes first, but the roof falls off. The other works carefully each day and builds one that lasts for years. Same theme: 'Steady, careful effort beats rushing. ' But the first is a fable with talking animals and a race, while the second is realistic fiction with people and a project. When you compare, name the shared theme, then explain at least one key difference.

• 1Different stories can share a theme.
• 2Compare characters, setting, problem, and how the lesson is shown.
• 3Name the shared theme, then a key difference.