Theme Classification

This thematic analysis worksheet is designed for Grades 10-12 and helps students practice identifying and evaluating major themes in Crime and Punishment. Students read six carefully selected quotes from the novel and classify each one according to the theme it best represents: Alienation (A), Morality (M), or Redemption (R). To make accurate choices, learners must closely examine language, context, and character perspective.

A concluding reflection prompt challenges students to decide which theme is most emphasized in the novel overall and to support their opinion with specific textual evidence, encouraging synthesis and higher-level literary reasoning.

Learning Goals

• Theme Identification & Analysis (Upper Secondary ELA) – Accurately connect quotations to central themes
• Quote Interpretation – Analyze meaning within context and character development
• Text-Based Reasoning – Justify thematic conclusions using evidence
• Critical Reflection – Evaluate thematic emphasis across the novel

Instructional Benefits

• Teacher-Created Resource – Aligned with high school literature and analysis standards
• Clear Classification Task – Code-based responses promote precision and focus
• Reinforces Core Themes – Highlights the novel’s moral and psychological framework
• Builds Toward Essay Writing – Prepares students for theme-based analytical responses
• Flexible Use – Ideal for formative assessment, discussion starters, or review lessons
• Low Prep – Print-and-use worksheet with concise directions and organized layout

This theme classification worksheet helps students move from recognizing individual quotes to understanding how alienation, morality, and redemption operate across Crime and Punishment. By classifying textual evidence and reflecting on thematic dominance, learners strengthen close-reading skills and deepen their understanding of Dostoevsky’s philosophical exploration of human conscience and transformation.

This worksheet is part of our Crime and Punishment Worksheets collection.