Theme (narrative)

About: Theme (narrative) is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 13050 publications have been published within this topic receiving 159511 citations. The topic is also known as: narrative theme.

Methods and apparatus for thematic parsing of discourse

Abstract: A theme parsing system that determines the thematic context of input discourse is disclosed. Each word used in a language carries thematic information that conveys the importance of the meaning and content of the discourse. The theme parsing system discriminates words and phrases of the input discourse, identifying the type of importance or meaning, the impact on different parts of the discourse, and the overall contribution to the content of the discourse. The thematic conext of the discourse is determined in accordance with predetermined theme assessment criteria that is a function of the strategic importance of the discriminated words. The predetermined thematic assessment criteria defines which of the discriminated words are to be selected for each thematic analysis unit. The discourse is then output in a predetermined thematic format as a different view to a user, giving the topics of the discourse in a topic extractor, generating summarized versions of the discourse in a kernel generator, and identifying the key content of the discourse in a content extractor.

Archaeology, ritual, religion

Abstract: 1. Introduction to the Theme 2. History of Research 3. Contemporary Approaches 4. The Case Studies 5. Prospects and Conclusion: Prospects, A Future Approach? Towards a Theory of Archaeology and Religion

Black Sheep and Kissing Cousins: How Our Family Stories Shape Us

Abstract: When someone says, at a holiday dinner table, "Oh, those Lawrence cousins lose control all the time," or "the Davises always had more talent than luck," you can be sure there's a lesson being passed along, from one generation to another. Who tells stories to whom and about what is never a random matter. Our family stories have a secret power: they play a unique role in shaping our identity, our sense of our place in the world. The give us values, inspirations, warnings, incentives. We need them. We use them. We keep them. They reverberate throughout our lives, affecting our choices in love, work, friendship, and lifestyle. Elizabeth Stone, whose grandparents came from Italy to Brooklyn, artfully weaves her own family stories among the stories of more than a hundred people of all backgrounds, ages, and regions - clarifying for us predictable types of family legends, providing ways to interpret our own stories and their roles in our lives. She examines stories of birth, death, work, money, romantic adventure - all in the context of the family storytelling ritual. And she shows how stories about our most ancient ancestors may provide answers at milestone moments in our lives, as well as how stories about our newest family members carve out places for them so they will fit into their families, comfortably or otherwise. Upon its initial publication in 1988, Studs Terkel said that the book is "A wholly original approach to an ancient theme: family storytelling and its lasting mark on the individual." Judy Collins noted that "Elizabeth Stone's marvelous book on family myths and fables is irresistible. It lets us in on our own secrets in a provocative and exciting way." And Maggie Scarf wrote, "What a clever topic, and how beautifully Elizabeth Stone has written about it! I recommend Black Sheep and Kissing Cousins for everyone who has ever been raised in a family."

Food is fundamental, fun, frightening, and far-reaching

Abstract: JL HE theme of this paper is that food is fundamental, fun, frightening, and far-reaching. By far-reaching, I mean that food is foundational, that is, the system evolved to deal with problems of food selection is the source of many general behavioral and mental adaptations: with respect to the origin of adaptations, food is often first. After a brief introduction, I will expand on each of the concepts represented by the F words.