Read these excerpts from Fever 1793 and The Summer of the Pestilence. Fiction: Fever 1793

"Where are you going?" I asked. "Grandfather and I could run any errand you need."

"Not this errand, you couldn’t." Eliza reached for her pretty straw hat. "The Free African Society is having a meeting about the fever. It should prove a lively gathering."

Nonfiction: The Summer of the Pestilence

Our citizens continue still from day to day to flee, until now, I do not think that more than one-third of our white population remain in the city. Of the coloured people but few have gone, partly on account of the difficulty of getting away, but more especially because the yellow fever is a disease from which they have, comparatively, very little to fear.

In what way are the passages similar?

Both include compelling characters living in cities that have the yellow fever.
Both show a view of African Americans living in cities that have the yellow fever.
Both discuss the feelings of real people living through the yellow fever.
Both describe in detail the setting of cities that have the yellow fever.

taking into account that a theme is the central topic a text treats and can be developed through a story, play, poem etc. the following are themes that can be further developed:  

my best friend jeffrey has many unusual interests. (the story could be about each of the unususal interests)

once a man gives his soul over to evil, he can never go back. (this could be a saying or a proverb)

the three sheepdogs lay around the yard all day. (it could be developed detailing how each of these sheepdogs lay around)

a priest's collar has an unusual effect upon people. (it could be developed detailing the different effect upon people)

innocence is a powerful force in a world full of corruption. (it could be developed detailing how is a world full of corruption)

king lear is a play shakespeare wrote later. (it is just a sentence and doesnt give any idea or topic to be discussed in details.

evil often wears the disguise of innocence. (this could be a saying or a proverb)

i go to the store and buy some cheese,suddenly there was akward silence.   out of no where comes a ninja, and he takes an apple, and chokes the cashier, until he passes out.   the disapeared in a puff of smoke.   the cashier went to the doctor, and everything was fine again.   they all lived happily ever after without anymore ninjas.

the end

go to buy cheese= exposition

akaward silence= rising action

ninja chokes the cashier= climax

cashier goes to the doctor= falling action

they live happily ever after= resolution

in his speech "i have a dream," king states the plight of african americans, as he argues that after the civil war, slaves were promised equal rights and freedoms, but that these promises have not materialized.

he goes on to say that there are those who ask "when will you be satisfied? " implying that african americans alread enjoy a lot. in order to attack this argument, king lists examples of civil rights struggles that african americans still face, such as police brutality, segregation and racial prejudice.