All 9 Uses
theme
in
What They Fought For - 1861-1865
(Edited)
- The dominant themes in letters were homesickness and a longing for peace.
p. 14.2 *themes = recurring ideas
- I found less evidence of the "rich man's war / poor man's fight" attitude in soldiers' letters than I expected, given the prevalence of this theme in recent scholarship.
p. 15.9theme = a basic idea that underlies what is being said or done
- The theme of parallel sacrifice with the patriots of 1776 punctuated the letters of many Union soldiers.
p. 28.5
- Others were, however—especially on the theme of the Union as a beacon light of liberty for the oppressed in their homelands.
p. 31.6
- Officers from upper— or middle-class backgrounds were the most likely to voice this law-and-order theme.
p. 32.9
- The difference between officers and enlisted men was smaller for Union soldiers: 78 percent of officers and 61 percent of enlisted men expressed patriotism; 49 and 36 percent, respectively, advanced various ideological themes, including opposition to slavery.
p. 35.6themes = basic ideas that underlie what is being said or done -- especially in a literary or artistic work
- The theme of punishment for treason became more prevalent as the war dragged on.
p. 41.8theme = a basic idea that underlies what is being said or done
- Writing from the trenches before Petersburg and Atlanta and from active fronts elsewhere during 1864, enlisted men echoed the theme of weariness but determination to see it through.
p. 43.7
- Several soldiers rang changes on the theme expressed by a New York private: "Thank God …. the contest is now between Slavery & freedom, & every honest man knows what he is fighting for."
p. 62.5
Definitions:
-
(1)
(theme as in: theme of the novel) a basic idea that underlies what is being said or done -- especially in a literary or artistic work
-
(2)
(theme as in: musical theme) the initial or primary melody of a musical composition
or
(as in "theme song") music that is most repeated in a film, television series, or other theatrical production -
(3)
(theme as in: wrote a 2-page theme on my summer) an essay written by a student
(This sense of theme is much rarer in recent decades than in the past.) - (4) (meaning too rare to warrant focus)