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Reflection and Theme
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Like fiction and other types of literature, narratives have themes, points they try to
make that can be applied to the world beyond the story. Narratives often include
moments of reflection, in which the authors, now “older and wiser,” reflect on the
Narrative
actions of their younger selves. Such moments usually lead readers to some kind of
statement of theme. Narratives are rarely related in the present tense with the events
happening as the narrator experiences them. Instead, they usually include statements
like these from “Mother’s Tongue”:
I dreamed instead of someone stopping me on the streets and saying, “Aren’t you that
guy who does those great front-page articles for The Salt Lake Tribune?” I would have
gladly owned that kind of recognition.
Neither my uncle nor anyone else could undo my mother’s incantations.
These are not the kind of statements that Autman would likely have made as a
younger person. Only later, with more life experience, could he look back at himself
critically. This process of reflection is integral to a narrative and it usually leads to an
insight shared at or near the end of the piece, as in the last sentences in Autman’s
narrative:
And it took me thirteen years of working as a newspaper writer and another ten years of
teaching college before I realized something.
My mother was right.
This is the “so what” portion of the narrative. Authors of narratives often include
statements like these to illustrate clearly the insight or theme the audience
ought to take away from the writer’s experiences. In this case, Autman would
probably like for us to conclude that, yes, we all may question ourselves, but
listening to the voices of those who know us best can help us find a rewarding
path in life.

activity Reflection and Theme

As someone who is now “older and wiser,” what advice would you like to give yourself
at one or more of the following times in your life?
• The first day of high school
• The worst day you had in middle school
• A time you failed or succeeded at some kind of activity
• One of your birthdays before you turned thirteen
• Any other significant time in your life

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Uncorrected proofs have been used in this sample.
Copyright © Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers.
Distributed by Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers.
For review purposes only. Not for redistribution.

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