Big Themes
This theme is central to To Kill a Mockingbird’s courtroom trial
Justice VS Prejudice
What does the mockingbird symbolize in To Kill a Mockingbird?
Innocence harmed by evil
What event permanently alters Scout’s understanding of justice?
Tom Robinson’s guilty verdict
Which character represents moral courage in To Kill a Mockingbird?
Atticus Finch
What does Harper Lee suggest about justice in a prejudiced society?
True justice is difficult or impossible
This theme connects Lennie’s dream to George’s final decision
Innocence lost / shattered dreams
What does the conch shell represent in Lord of the Flies?
Civilization and Order
What moment marks the collapse of George and Lennie’s dream?
Lennie killing Curley’s wife
Which character symbolizes pure innocence in Of Mice and Men?
Lennie
What does Steinbeck suggest about dreams during the Great Depression?
They are fragile and often unattainable
This theme explains the boys’ descent into violence in Lord of the Flies
Loss of innocence / corruption of human nature
What does the portrait symbolize in The Picture of Dorian Gray?
The hidden moral consequences of corruption
When does Jack fully reject civilization?
When he paints his face and embraces hunting
Which character represents unchecked savagery in Lord of the Flies?
Jack
What does Golding suggest about human nature?
Evil is inherent and emerges without structure
This theme drives Dorian’s transformation throughout Wilde’s novel
Moral corruption through aestheticism
What does Lennie’s puppy foreshadow and symbolize?
Innocence that unintentionally causes harm
What moment first reveals Dorian’s moral corruption?
His cruel rejection of Sibyl Vane
Which character represents aestheticism without responsibility?
Lord Henry
What is Wilde warning readers about through Dorian Gray?
Living without moral accountability leads to destruction
This theme appears in all four novels
Innocence vs. corruption (or morality)
What does the fire represent once it becomes destructive in Lord of the Flies?
Power and loss of control
What event shows innocence completely destroyed in Lord of the Flies?
Simon’s death
Which character represents the consequences of moral blindness despite good intentions?
George
Which two novels most clearly contrast external vs. internal causes of corruption?
Of Mice and Men (external) and Lord of the Flies (internal)