Topic, Thesis, Theme, Claim, Main Idea: What’s the Difference?

Some of the terms we use to talk about writing are very similar, and it's easy to get them mixed up. This video defines these terms and discusses their use.

The essay "Be Cool to the Pizza Dude" can be heard or read at: https://www.npr.org/2005/05/16/465153...

Honestly, it's not a big deal if you don't completely understand the differences between these terms. The most important thing is to know that it's pretty common to get them mixed up. So when you're talking about these sorts of concepts with someone, it's probably a good idea to go into detail about what you mean. That way you can make sure you understand each other!

Definitions provided:

main idea – broadly, an that idea controls or guides a creative work
topic – the subject of the work; the base concept
theme – the principle or message a literary work illustrates about its topic, based on how the topic is illustrated by the details in it (examples, character actions, description, events, etc.)
thesis – the message or point about the topic of an essay or other reflective, academic, or analytical work
claim – the main idea in an argumentative or persuasive work; needs to be proved with evidence and reasoning; designed to change the audience's perspective

Also, yes, that IS a tub of celery on my left.