DTW GED PREP

The theme of a story is the main idea or message that runs through it. It’s what the story is really about. For example, a story’s theme might be about how someone finds justice, how hard it is to make peace, or how a journey helps someone grow wiser.

Usually, the theme isn’t directly stated. You have to figure it out by paying attention to the story’s events, the characters’ actions, and the way the author describes things. Your answer should be based on evidence from the story.

Excerpt from “Paper Pills” by Sherwood Anderson

Doctor Reefy was an older man with a white beard, a big nose, and large hands. He worked as a doctor, traveling around Winesburg in a buggy pulled by a tired white horse. Later, he married a quiet, dark-haired woman who had inherited a large farm. Many people thought she was beautiful and didn’t understand why she married him. Within a year, she died.

Most people in town forgot about Doctor Reefy. But inside, he had something thoughtful and kind. He worked alone in a dusty office above a store. There, he wrote ideas on scraps of paper, formed them into “truths,” and then tossed them aside so he could think of new ones. He kept the paper scraps in his coat pockets until they became small round balls, which he dumped on the floor when the pockets were full. For ten years, he had only one friend, a man who owned a tree nursery.

The story of Doctor Reefy and his wife is unusual. It’s compared to the twisted apples left on trees after harvest. While those apples don’t look good, they are actually sweet. Most people ignore them, just like they overlook people like Doctor Reefy. But those who take the time to notice find something special.

Passage from “Paper Pills” (Sherwood Anderson):

Doctor Reefy and the tall, dark-haired girl began their relationship one summer afternoon. At that time, Reefy was 45 and had already developed the habit of writing random thoughts on pieces of paper, which he stuffed into his pockets and later tossed away. He got into this habit while riding slowly down country roads in his buggy pulled by a tired horse. His papers contained full thoughts, half-formed thoughts, and ideas just beginning.

He would think about each idea carefully, and sometimes one would grow into what felt like a great truth. But after a while, that truth would fade, and he’d begin thinking of new ones again.

The girl first came to him because she was pregnant and scared. Her situation came from a series of strange events. As she spent more time with Doctor Reefy, she started to feel that she never wanted to leave him. When she came to his office, he seemed to already understand what she was going through—without her having to explain it.

While she was there, another woman was waiting to have a tooth pulled, and her husband was with her. When Reefy removed the tooth, both the woman and her husband screamed, and blood got on her white dress. The tall girl didn’t even notice. After they left, Reefy smiled and invited her to go for a drive in the country.

Over the next few weeks, she spent almost every day with him. The illness she was dealing with passed, but she had changed. She no longer wanted the “perfect” life others talked about—she had found something more meaningful in her time with Reefy. She was like someone who had discovered the hidden sweetness in the twisted apples that others overlook. That fall, she married him. By the next spring, she died. During the winter before she passed, Reefy read to her all the notes and thoughts he had written down. After reading each one, he laughed and stuffed the papers back into his pockets.

Which sentence from the story best shows its main idea (theme)?

A. “For several weeks the tall dark girl and the doctor were together almost every day.”
B. “The tall dark girl did not pay any attention.”
C. “The knuckles of the doctor’s hands were extraordinarily large.”
D. “Only the few know the sweetness of the twisted apples.” ✅

To answer this, think about what happens in the story. The author doesn’t give us a lot of dialogue, so every sentence is important. We learn that Doctor Reefy is old, lonely, and strange-looking. People don’t pay much attention to him. But we also see that he is kind, thoughtful, and deeply emotional. The girl who falls in love with him had a hard past, but she finds comfort and connection with him. The author compares their relationship to the twisted apples left on the trees—odd on the outside but sweet inside.

So, the best answer is D. That line shows the story’s message: that people who may seem strange or forgotten can still have deep beauty and value, even if most people don’t notice it.

I learned Ethan Frome’s story little by little from different people, and each version I heard was slightly different.

If you’ve been to Starkfield, Massachusetts, you probably know where the post office is. And if you’ve ever seen the post office, you’ve likely seen Ethan Frome pulling up in a wagon with his skinny, tired horse. He’d slowly get down and walk stiffly across the sidewalk, and you’d probably wonder who he was.

That’s where I first saw him years ago, and he immediately caught my attention. Even though he looked like a broken man, he was still the most noticeable person in town. It wasn’t just his height—many locals were tall—but something about the way he looked strong and tough, even though he limped like he was chained down with every step. His face looked cold and distant, and he was so stiff and gray-haired that I assumed he was very old. I was shocked to hear he was only 52. I learned that from Harmon Gow, a man who used to drive a stagecoach around Starkfield and knew all the local families.

Harmon told me Ethan had looked like that ever since “the smash-up,” which happened 24 years ago. That accident left a red scar on Ethan’s forehead and messed up the right side of his body so badly that it was hard for him to even walk a short distance to the post office window. Every day around noon, he’d come into town to get his mail. I often saw him there and noticed he rarely got more than a copy of the Bettsbridge Eagle, which he put away without even looking at it.

Sometimes, the postmaster gave him envelopes addressed to his wife, Mrs. Zeena Frome. These were usually ads from companies selling medicine. Ethan would also tuck these into his pocket without caring or even reading them. He’d then nod silently and leave.

Everyone in town knew Ethan and greeted him respectfully, but no one tried to chat with him much. When someone did speak to him, he would just nod, listen quietly, and say a few low words that I could never hear. Then he’d slowly climb back into his buggy and drive home.

I once asked Harmon about the accident. As I looked at Ethan, I imagined how strong and proud he must have looked before the accident twisted his body.

Harmon said the crash was terrible—bad enough to kill most men—but Ethan survived because “the Fromes are tough.” He even joked that Ethan might live to be 100.

I was shocked. At that moment, Ethan turned to check on a wooden box in his buggy. It had a drugstore label on it. I saw his face when he thought no one was looking, and I thought to myself, “Live to 100? That man already looks like he’s dead and in hell.”

Harmon just chewed some tobacco and said, “Guess he’s been stuck in Starkfield too many winters. Most of the smart folks find a way out.”

“Why didn’t Ethan ever leave town?”

“Someone had to stay and take care of the family. First it was his father, then his mother, then his wife,” Harmon replied.

“And then the accident?”

Harmon laughed in a dry way. “Exactly. After that, he really couldn’t leave.”

“So now they take care of him?”

Harmon moved his chewing tobacco to the other side of his mouth. “Actually, I think Ethan’s always been the one doing the caring.”

The narrator reflects that while Harmon shared what he knew, there were still gaps in the story—missing details that left out some deeper truths. But one phrase stuck in his mind and helped him understand it all: “Guess he’s been in Starkfield too many winters.”

Question: What is the theme suggested by the passage?

A. Difficult life events can stifle personal desires. ✅
B. Physical injuries can cause mental damage.
C. Love can help you conquer all challenges.
D. Small towns allow for close personal relationships.

Explanation:

To answer this, start by thinking about what we learn about Ethan Frome. The book is named after him, and he’s clearly the focus. We find out he had a bad accident 24 years ago that left him physically hurt. He lives quietly and seems isolated. He goes into town only to pick up medicine for his wife.

It might be tempting to choose B because his behavior is strange, but the real theme goes deeper. The author repeats a key phrase: “Guess he’s been in Starkfield too many winters.” That suggests Ethan didn’t plan to stay in this small town his whole life. He probably had other hopes or goals, but life events—like caring for sick relatives and then getting injured—trapped him there.

We also see that even though he’s the one who is injured, he’s still the one doing the caretaking. This shows us that his personal dreams were put aside because of duty, responsibility, and hardship.

That’s why A. Difficult life events can stifle personal desires is the best choice.

A group of four men—a captain, an oiler, a cook, and a correspondent—are stuck together in a small boat out at sea after a shipwreck. Even though they barely know each other, they develop a deep, silent friendship. The captain is hurt, but the other men listen to him and follow his directions without question. They all work together to survive, showing care and respect for each other.

The correspondent, who used to be skeptical of people, realizes that this experience—working closely with these men under pressure—is one of the most meaningful in his life.

As they drift toward shore, they see a lighthouse and begin to hope they’ll be rescued. They even rig the captain’s coat as a sail to give the rowers a break. Though tired and in danger, their teamwork keeps them going. They know land is near, and they begin to feel hopeful.

Question: What is the theme suggested by the passage?

A. People facing death often develop a false sense of their chances of rescue.

B. People who go through dangerous situations together feel a special bond.

C. People tend to look after their own safety more than others’ in times of trouble.

D. People respect the orders of an authority figure, even if the authority figure is hurt

 

Correct answer: B. People who go through dangerous situations together feel a special bond.

Explanation:

In this passage, the men are trapped in a small boat at sea. They don’t talk much, but they care about each other and work well together. The first paragraph shows how strong their connection becomes. The narrator (the correspondent) says it’s the best experience of his life—even though no one ever says that out loud.

While A (false hope of rescue) and D (respecting a leader) seem partly true, B is the best answer because the whole passage shows how these men build trust and friendship in a hard situation. They rely on each other and form a quiet but powerful connection—this is the central message, or theme, of the story.

QUESTIONS

Directions: Read the following text, which is excerpted from Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain. Then answer the questions that follow.

        “TOM! Where are you?”

       No answer was forthcoming.

       “TOM! Come here!”

       Still no answer was heard.

       “What’s gone with that boy, I wonder? You TOM!”

       No answer was heard yet again.

       The woman pulled her spectacles down and looked over them about the room; then she put them up and looked out under them. She seldom or never looked THROUGH them for so small a thing as a boy; they were her best pair, the pride of her heart, and were built for “style,” not service—she could have seen through a pair of stove-lids just as well; she looked perplexed for a moment, and then said, not fiercely, but still loud enough for the furniture to hear:

       “Well, I if you don’t come right away I’ll—”

       She did not finish, for by this time she was bending down and checking under the bed with the broom, and so she needed breath to punctuate her search; she didn’t find anything but the cat.

       She went to the open door and stood in it and looked out among the tomato vines and weeds in the garden: no Tom there. So she lifted up her voice at an angle calculated for distance and shouted:

       “Y-o-u-u TOM, answer me at once!”

       There was a slight noise behind her and she turned just in time to seize a small boy by the slack of his shirt and stop his flight.

       “There! I might “a’ thought of that closet. What you been doing in there?”

       “Nothing.”

       “Nothing! Look at your hands and look at your mouth; what IS that stuff?”

       The lad said nothing; instead he looked down at his feet.

       “Well, I know; it’s jam—that’s what it is—and you know too. Forty times I’ve said if you didn’t let that jam alone you would be punished.”

       “I’m sorry, Aunt. I couldn’t help myself.”

  The threat of punishment hovered in the air—the peril was intense—

       Then quite suddenly Tom spoke in a voice filled with deep concern.

 “My! Watch out; look behind you, aunt!”

       His aunt whirled round, and snatched her skirts out of danger and just in that instant the lad fled, scrambling up the high board-fence, and disappearing over it, far out of sight of his aunt.

       His aunt Polly stood surprised a moment, and then broke into a gentle laugh.

       “Hang the boy, can’t I never learn anything? Ain’t he played me tricks enough like that for me to be looking out for him by this time? But old fools is the biggest fools there is. Can’t learn an old dog new tricks, as the saying is. But my goodness, he never plays them alike, two days, and how is a body to know what’s coming? He ’pears to know just how long he can torment me before I get my dander up, and he knows if he can make out to put me off for a minute or make me laugh, it’s all down again.

 He’s sure is mischievous, but laws-a-me; he’s my own sister’s boy, and I ain’t got the heart to really punish him, somehow. Every time I let him off, my conscience does hurt me so, and every time I punish him my old heart most breaks. Well-a-well, man that is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble, and I reckon it’s so.”

 1.   Which quotation from the text best supports the theme of the story?

 A.   “The woman pulled her spectacles down and looked over them about the room; then she put them up and looked out under them.”

 B.   “She went to the open door and stood in it and looked out among the tomato vines and weeds in the garden: no Tom there.”

 C.   “There was a slight noise behind her and she turned just in time to seize a small boy by the slack of his shirt and stop his flight.”

 D.   “He ’pears to know just how long he can torment me before I get my dander up, and he knows if he can make out to put me off for a minute or make me laugh, it’s all down again.”

 2.   What is Tom’s viewpoint?

 A.   He dislikes his aunt.

 B.   He enjoys annoying his aunt.

 C.   He wants to change the way that he acts.

 D.   He thinks that his aunt should be stricter.

 3.   Which excerpt supports the idea that Tom is someone who can move very quickly?

 A.   There was a slight noise behind her and she turned just in time to seize a small boy by the slack of his shirt and stop his flight.

B.   “I’m sorry, Aunt. I couldn’t help myself.”

C.   Then quite suddenly Tom spoke in a voice filled with deep concern. “My! Watch out; look behind you, aunt!”

 D.   His aunt whirled round, and snatched her skirts out of danger and just in that instant the lad fled, scrambling up the high board-fence, and disappearing over it, far out of sight of his aunt.

 4.   Why does Aunt Polly feel badly about punishing Tom?

 A.   He is very young.

 B.   He is her sister’s son.

 C.   He cries a lot when he is punished.

 D.   He does not understand right from wrong.

ANSWERS

Excerpt from Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

1. Which quotation best supports the theme of the story?
✅ Answer: D. “He ’pears to know just how long he can torment me before I get my dander up…”
Explanation:
This line captures the playful and mischievous relationship between Tom and Aunt Polly. It reflects the theme of childhood mischief, affection, and the challenges of discipline.

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2. What is Tom’s viewpoint?
✅ Answer: B. He enjoys annoying his aunt.
Explanation:
Tom deliberately tricks Aunt Polly to avoid punishment and escapes with a clever ruse. His behavior shows that he finds amusement in outsmarting her.

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3. Which excerpt supports the idea that Tom can move quickly?
✅ Answer: D. “…the lad fled, scrambling up the high board-fence, and disappearing over it…”
Explanation:
This description shows Tom escaping with speed and agility, underscoring his quick movements.

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4. Why does Aunt Polly feel badly about punishing Tom?
✅ Answer: B. He is her sister’s son.
Explanation:
She says, “he’s my own sister’s boy, and I ain’t got the heart to really punish him.” Her love and sentimental attachment prevent her from being too harsh.

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