How can a reader use his or her understanding of theme or central idea to summarize a text objectively?

Students must understand that there is no single theme to any piece of literature.  The more complex the literature, the more possible themes there are. Authors will help students read between the lines for the theme, either through motifs or dominant ideas that are repeated throughout the story. You have to understand the basics of the characterization, plot and other literary elements that are included in the story that you are reading.  

Explanation:

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the miracle worker themeswilliam gibson

themes and meanings

(comprehensive guide to drama)

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there are two central themes in  the miracle worker: that the human spirit can triumph over even the most daunting of disabilities and that a dedicated teacher can transform the lives of those with whom he or she comes into contact. these inspirational themes have long been personified in the widely known true-life relationship between helen keller and annie sullivan, but  the miracle worker  also dramatizes collateral issues that extend beyond the particular case. underlying helen’s process of learning basic principles of what annie terms “obedience” (decorum, etiquette, and hygiene), there are more universal lessons of self-governance—the inculcation of self-restraint instead of willfulness, the development of self-discipline instead of self-indulgence. only when these lessons have been mastered can helen begin to acquire language—which, annie says, “is to the mind more than light is to the eye.”