Chronicles, which is a series of loosely connected short stories about the
colonization of Mars
VICTOR
If you all read Alvarez's article, she argues that The Martian
Chronicles is no longer relevant because it's a product of
1950s fears and values. The story ends with an atomic
war, for example, which has more to do with the Cold War
than with problems today.
EDGAR
I don't think that matters. The ultimate point is that people
can't escape human nature, even when they're living on
other planets. They bring all their old problems with them:
wars, pollution, whatever.
RIKU
I agree. Alvarez is confusing important themes with petty
details. By her logic, stories like The Odyssey that were
written thousands of years ago would no longer be
relevant because people don't wear togas anymore. That's
not the point.
MARIA
So what is the difference between a theme and a detail?
EDGAR
Good question
MARIA
That's what we need to find out. I've seen about a million
definitions of theme, so let's all find at least two or three
from academic dictionaries and see what they all have in
common
Which student is most clearly evaluating an author's point of view?