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Course: Storytelling > Unit 2
Lesson 3: Story structureActivity 2: Theme
Google ClassroomPart A: Describe the moral or theme of your three favorite films. Can you identify the lesson that the main character(s) learns by the end of the film?
Part B: Think of a story from your own life. What was the moral of your story? What did you learn and why?
Part C: Return to the story you are developing and try the following:
- Brainstorm ideas for the moral in your own story (return to the needs of your main character from the Character lesson)
- Try retelling your original story spine in order to reinforce (clarify) the moral at the end.
Want to join the conversation?
I have a kinda problem. My story doesn't have one clear moral, such as "be who you are" or "life is not all about winning". What should I do!(50 votes)
I personally don't think every story has to have one clear moral, which is obvious for the reader to find. But in every story the main character has to grow. At the end of the story, your main character is in some way better than he/she was at the beginning. He/she has learned something, about themselves or about the people or the world around them. He/she is changed in some essential way. In this character-growth I think you can find your moral. Because by sympathizing with your main character, your readers will go on this same journey.(90 votes)
Does Star Wars VII even have a moral? Or Rogue One? Anyone?! The theme for Star Wars VII is anyone that messes with you must be killed.
-Werd2004 #starwarslovers(28 votes)
Well, some people might say it's got one of the hardest morals to convey in a movie: Even if the world looks so dark, to the point that the textbook hero-Luke-dies, there is always going to be a tomorrow, new heroes, and another chance to make the galaxy right.(26 votes)
- Part A:
Hunger Games: Sometimes you have to stand up to someone in charge in order to protect others
To All The Boys I've Loved Before: You should tell people how you feel when you feel it, and its good to take risks because even if it doesn't turn out how you want you will know you tried
Spider-man Into The Spider-Verse: Even if you don't know how to do something never give up
My story: Emma hasn't always had the best life she has struggled with making friends for over 12 years. She struggles with felling like she is worth anything, she feels almost invisible. Then one day she meets a girl named Alex, and Alex helps Emma realize that she does have worth. The moral is never think that your not good enough(25 votes)
I really like The Hunger Games, Spiderman the movies, shows and the cartoons.(8 votes)
Peter Pan: i learn that thinking about happy thoughts can result in great outcomes and we always have to grow up and need a mother's love.(24 votes)
Aladdin-
To know what is right and choose to ignore it is the act of a coward.
Kung fu Panda-
Giving up is never an option.
Toy story-
You have to accept the truth that everything is transient.(14 votes)
I'm working on my own story right now. As I've said in my last posts, it's based on a real event. I'm using my OCs instead of the people though. That makes for space to add things that wouldn't normally happen.
Anyway, I think that the moral of my story is to be yourself, but don't be stuck in your ways, open to new ideas, and let yourself evolve from something old into something new without losing what matters.
That's a long moral, but it's what I went through.(11 votes)- Once upon a time, there was a very insecure, lame, scared guy named Todd
Every day, he goes to his same boring work, where he literally just pushes the letter a over and over again on a keyboard
Until one day, when inanimate objects come alive, and the world descends into chaos.
Because of that, Todd feels bad for people and Things alike, but is too scared to use his amazing inventions to help for fear of people not liking it.
Because of that, he finally meets a nuclear Thing that’s way smarter and very encouraging to Todd, his only friend.
Because of that, he finally comes out of his shell and begins to use his inventions to help the world.
Until finally, he is recognized worldwide and, for the most part, finds harmony between Things and people.
And ever since then, the world is more peaceful than ever.
The moral of the story: Don’t let yourself stop you.(10 votes) 
I personally don't think every story has to have one clear moral, which is obvious for the reader to find. But in every story the main character has to grow. At the end of the story, your main character is in some way better than he/she was at the beginning. He/she has learned something, about themselves or about the people or the world around them. He/she is changed in some essential way. In this character-growth I think you can find your moral. Because by sympathizing with your main character, your readers will go on this same journey.(9 votes)
can i make a story without the first act(5 votes)
The first act is where the story opens to the viewer/reader. The story itself may start earlier than the first act (like in A Tale of Two Cities), but that background information might be revealed at a later point in time.(4 votes)
Once upon a time there was a school that many of the kids liked, every day, they would learn about subjects that they enjoyed. Until one day, where in an attempt to buy out another school, the school ended up bankrupting itself. Because of that, a corporation came in and bought the school, changing the curriculum, making the students learn what they wanted them to learn, while omitting anything they don't like, such as most strikers being peaceful and the benefits of joining a union, as well as rewarding the students of rich parents more and trying to please them more. Because of that, a group of students looked up the information to make sure what they were taught was accurate, finding out that the corporation was lying to them about everything and trying to force them into working for them, so this group prepared for revolution against the corrupt school administration. Because of that, the revolutionary movements were able to work together against the tyrranical administration in solidarity against them, and finally, the corporate administration that tried to keep them from unionizing in the future was defeated, with the students creating an elected council to replace the principal. Ever since then, the Council of Students has tried to keep the school running, despite infighting amongst the different factions that popped up in it. The moral of the story is that when working together, you can do almost anything.(5 votes)
