You should give credit to them, yes. You can state the source from which it came from, or the author himself. I’m going to say this is true
The stated message is the clearly identified point of the communication while the implied message is not
Making personal connections lets you understand the piece your reading in a more personal and close way, meaning you understand it at a higher thinking level. Making personal connections allows you to feel the way that the character feels, meaning you can answer any questions about said protagonist more easily.
Hi! If I were you, I would refer to notes given to you by your teacher, as I am not entirely sure what level this is or what your teacher is looking for, or how your teacher may define a theme.
Personally, I would choose:
A theme is a message the text conveys.
A theme is supported by details in the text.
A theme is seen over the course of a text.
Again, be sure to double-check with your notes and/or teacher to see how they define it, but in my opinion, I would choose those three!
Hope this helps!
-K
