For example: A fifteen year old boy in an American suburban high school, who has not made the basketball
team, knows the experience of disappointment, but so does a seventy year old grandmother whose family
does not come home for the holidays. Each character’s story might detail the events of how they move from
disappointment to contentment. These stories have a similar theme. Even though the details of the story
are expressed differently, either scenario could express the theme of overcoming disappointment and hurt
– yet, each in a unique way. Could you connect with either of these characters? Why? Get into the habit of
asking how and why questions as you move through the details of a literary selection.