Read this chart. The chart shows what steps readers should follow to determine the theme of a story. How to Determine the Theme of a Story 1. Identify the characters’ problem in the story. 2. 3. Determine the story’s lesson about the characters’ problem. What belongs beside number 2 in the list? Identify the characters in the story. List the events that happen in the story. Analyze how the characters face the problem and what happens next. Analyze the events that lead up to the problem and how they could be different.