Begin the search for the literary theme by thinking about what the story is really about. Read the title. Get an initial sense of the topic and message.
Look for a unifying idea within the story as you read it. Identify events that define the topic and events that contribute to this topic.
Seek out central ideas such as the struggle against nature, the bonds of family, a child coming of age or other common themes in literature.
Identify the actions of the characters and how they affect or define the central topic. Look for dialogue and actions that contribute to the most basic idea of the book.
Determine a secondary theme, which is often present in a complex story. Look to the subject matter, storyline and characters to find the secondary theme as well.
Think about the impression the book has on you. Identify the main idea, and compare that to the literary themes you identified from the story. Reflect upon what point the author tries to make, and how effective the story was at making that point.