Literature

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Themes

Theme

- Theme is ALWAYS expressed in a sentence, idea or thought. If you write down a single word, it's not theme.

- A story can have more than one theme. It can also have no theme.

- If you come up with an answer, you have to provide context and explanation for you answer with information from the story

Common Themes in Literature

The best literary themes explore human nature on a universal level. It’s no surprise, then, that multiple books may share the same central idea. 

Each of the following popular theme examples reveals the human condition and offers readers food for thought long after the story is finished.

Six common themes in literature are:

1. Good vs. evil

2. Love

3. Redemption

4. Courage and perseverance

5. Coming of age

6. Revenge

Literary Theme: Good vs. Evil

The classic battle between light and dark, altruism and antagonism, the theme of good versus evil stretches beyond even Biblical times. A story about good triumphing over evil may pit two characters directly against each other, as in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, or a main character against society at large, as in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird.

In addition, the theme of good versus evil may be explored through the external actions and dialogue of the characters, or via their internal struggle to do the right thing when faced with temptation.

Literary Theme: Love part one

Love is one of the most universal themes in literature, as in life. In fact, the theme of love is underpins many of the stories we’ve discussed so far. Love can be a force for good that inspires people to sacrifice themselves for others, or a toxic force that drives people to madness or violence. Different flavors of love as a literary theme include:

1. Forbidden love. Yearning and disapproval collide in forbidden love stories, which often find star-crossed lovers hurtling towards a tragic fate. Examples include: Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare and Atonement by Ian McEwan.

2. Family love. Stories about the love between parents and children or siblings often explore the costs or challenges of family loyalty. Examples include: The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner and My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult.

Literary Theme: Love part two

3. Unrequited love. The pain of loving someone who does not return your affection is a frequent subject in literature. Examples include: The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux and The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway.

4. Friendship. The power of friendship to carry people through hard times and change them—whether for better or worse—is an especially common theme in young adult literature. Examples include: The Body by Stephen King (adapted into a film, Stand By Me) and The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Literary Theme: Redemption

Failures or tragedies set the stage for a sad story, but it doesn’t have to end this way: in books that employ redemption as a central theme, characters see the errors of their ways and strive to right the wrongs they’ve committed, making for an uplifting tale. Stories of redemption often involve a reformed character sacrificing his or her freedom or life.

Examples of stories that explore redemption include A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens and Les Miserables by Victor Hugo.

Literary Theme : Courage and Perseverance

The triumph of the human spirit in the face of adversity is a hugely popular theme in literature, film, and real life. Characters in stories about courage endure difficult circumstances or impossible odds, persevering through sheer determination, grit, and gall.

Examples of stories with courage as their central theme include: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle and Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden.

Literary Theme : Coming of Age

Also known as a bildungsroman, a classic coming-of-age story follows one or more characters during their journey of growing up into adulthood. These characters may experience everything from a loss of innocence, to an awakening or self-awareness before finally reaching maturity. While coming of age stories are popular in young adult literature, they’re also common in memoirs.

Examples of books that employ coming of age as a central theme include Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, and The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger.

Literary Theme: Revenge

A common plot in literature, the theme of revenge sets up a conflict between one character and his or her enemies as he or she journeys to avenge wrongs done to them. A revenge story may depict the trials a character must endure in order to achieve their vengeance—or, explore the human cost and moral dilemmas around pursuing vengeance in the first place

Examples of stories that use revenge as their central theme include: The Iliad by Homer, Carrie by Stephen King, The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas, and Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.

Freedom and confinement

This theme highlights the dichotomy between the desire for freedom and the reality of confinement.

Confinement might be physical, such as imprisonment or slavery, or it could be psychological, stemming from societal expectations or personal fears.

The ‘freedom’ element might emerge as a wistful theme, as in many coming-of-age narratives about the young character wanting to escape their hometown confines and beat culture narratives of the 1950s; or it might emerge as a struggle with physical constraint, such as themes surrounding imprisoned POWs.

Innocence and experience

The theme of innocence vs experience often demonstrates a transition from a naive idealism to wisdom earned through experience.

For example, this theme may also explore the transition from the naivety of childhood to the disillusionment of adulthood.

Characters often face harsh realities or undergo experiences that shatter their innocence and lead them towards a more complex understanding of the world.

Reality VS Illusion

This theme investigates the nature of reality and the power of illusion.

Characters might grapple with distinguishing between what is real and what is not. In these situations, the story may play with the reader, not even allowing the reader an objective vision of what’s true and what not (such as in the unreliable narrator trope).

Similarly, the theme might explore how characters intentionally choose illusion over reality to escape unpleasant circumstances.

The search for self-identity

The theme of self-identity revolves around the process of understanding oneself, and it often involves characters undergoing significant personal growth or change.

This theme often begins with characters experiencing a sense of unease or dissatisfaction with their present circumstances or sense of self.

This feeling of discomfort acts as a catalyst for the characters to embark on a quest for self-identity, an inner journey often mirrored by an outward physical journey or experience.

Isolation & Loneliness

The theme of isolation involves characters experiencing physical or emotional separation from others.

This isolation can be self-wrought, caused by an individual’s actions or decisions, or externally imposed, such as societal exclusion, geographical displacement, or unforeseen circumstances.

This theme explores the various forms and impacts of isolation, offering a deep dive into the psychological and emotional ramifications it has on individuals.

I am often compelled by storylines that use physical isolation as a metaphor for the sense of loneliness and isolatedness within the hearts and minds of the protagonists.

Survival

This theme is often explored in literature through characters facing extreme conditions or challenges that test their will to survive.

There is generally a conflict here, which could be man vs nature (surviving the elements), man vs man (surviving against a foe), or even man vs technology (fighting against rogue technology, such as in Terminator).

Survival themes can be a window into exploration of the tenacity and resilience of the human spirit against the odds.

The struggle for women's rights

This theme involves the fight for gender equality, focusing on the experiences, struggles, and triumphs of women in a patriarchal society.

This theme could fit into the category of “protagonist vs society”, or rather “woman vs society!” It generally attempts to reflect real social, cultural, and political circumstances to make a social commentary about current social inequalities and the underlying patriarchy.

It may explore a woman’s attempts to assert her place in society, her struggles with discrimination, or women’s solidarity in the face of an oppressive outside world.

For each story write the sentence:

The theme shown in this story is … because …

You need to say why you think that theme is being shown.

An illustration of a young girl thinking.

Theme list:

• The power of love

• Growing up

• Learning who to trust

• Mis-using a great power or gift

• Standing up for what is right

What is the theme?

Story 1

There was a gingerbread man who escaped from the baker who was going to eat him.

He came across a river. There was a little sheep smiling sweetly who had a paddle boat that said, if he helped paddle, they could both cross the river together. Or there was a sleek fox licking his lips that had a speed boat who said the gingerbread man could jump on his boat and didn’t have to do anything, just travel in style.

The gingerbread man jumped onto the fox’s boat and they set off. Half way across the river the fox stopped the boat and chomped the gingerbread man down in one bite.

What is the theme?

A princess fell in love with a working boy from the stables. The king refused to let the princess marry such a poor, unroyal person. The stable boy left the kingdom, promising to return one day for his princess.

Three years later, the princess had refused to marry five different rich and powerful princes. The king was furious.

Then in the middle of the night, the stable boy appeared at the princess’s window. He told her that he had settled in another kingdom, living in a small house by a wood and working for a kind farmer. He wasn’t rich but he wanted to marry her. The princess jumped out the window, onto the boy’s horse and they rode away to live happily ever after.

Ask yourself questions:

• What is the author's take on the theme?
• Is it convincing?
• How does it compare to another books/ films with a similar theme?
• Does the writing style enhance the theme?
• Etc.

assignment

In pairs: decide on a book, film or series that you both have read/seen and identify one of the main themes. Decribe the theme. Describe the author's approach. What was his/her intention, do you think? What is your opinion? Be precise!

In pairs: decide on a book, film or series that you both have read/seen
and identify one of the main themes. Decribe the theme. Describe
the author's approach. What was his/her intention, do you think?
What is your opinion? Be precise!