75 COMMON THEME TOPICS

A theme is a broad idea, message, moral, universal truth or lesson expressed.

1. Confidence vs. insecurities 2. Overcoming fears 3. Appreciation/ gratitude 4.

Acceptance/ tolerance 5. Kindness 6. Honesty 7. Teamwork/ goals/ collaboration 8.
Overcoming adversities 9. Loss of innocence/ Coming of age (Learning about the
harsh realities of the world) 10. Sacrifice (What will you do or say to save/ help
someone else?) 11. Nature vs. nurture 12. Fall from grace (i.e., opening Pandora�s
Box, tasting the forbidden fruit, etc.) 13. Love (platonic - romantic) 14.
Friendship (How far will you go? Standing up for friends, etc.) 15. Fate/ destiny
(Are you in control of your fate? Is there such a thing?) 16. Revenge (Good vs. bad
outcomes, etc.) 17. Taking advantage of� 18. The unexplained (mysterious happenings
which cannot be reasonably explained) 19. The importance of education/ Intellectual
education/ Moral education 20. Bravery vs. cowardice 21. Racism and prejudice 22.
Role of women, minorities, etc. 23. Maturity vs. immaturity 24. Social class
structure/ inequalities/ poverty 25. Code of conduct 26. Privacy and security 27.
Uncertainty (Or, the impossibility of certainty) 28. Life and death (mortality and
immortality/ circle of life) 29. The American Dream (Or, the decline of it) 30.
Time (the value of it) 31. Social change 32. Civilized vs. uncivilized society
33. Hatred and regret 34. Existence of good and/ or evil 35. The power of one
36. Innocence and experience 37. Choices and possibilities 38. Guilt vs.
forgiveness 39. Family bond/ loyalty 40. Religion/ spirituality/ faith 41.
Heroism 42. Freedom (Causes of/ consequences of�)
43. Individuality vs. group 44. Liberty and authority 45. Fame and fortune 46.
Greed and selfishness 47. Personal vs. public property 48. Commitment (marriage,
career, family, friends, responsibilities, etc.) 49. Abuse (physically,
emotionally, etc.) 50. Life out of balance/ chaos vs. order 51. Personal vs.
group identity (how is it defined?) 52. Beauty (is in the eye of the beholder) 53.
Life is short 54. Alienation/ shunned from family, friends, life, society, etc.
55. Value of life (in creatures big and small) 56. Attraction 57. Purpose of
life 58. War vs. peace 59. Betrayal/ breaking a bond 60. Desire to escape 61.
Empowerment 62. Communication: verbal and nonverbal 63. Ignorance vs. knowledge 64.
Emptiness/ loneliness 65. Traditions vs. change 66. Government/ capitalism/
socialism/ communism/ 67. Responsibilities 68. Crime and the law 69. Peer pressure
70. Human needs 71. Patterns (in human interaction, nature, etc.) 72. Conflict
(Interpersonal, intrapersonal, etc.) 73. Exploration 74. Relationships (purpose of,
etc.) 75. Force (attracts, repels, influences of, causes of)

Theme Definition

What is theme? Here�s a quick and simple definition:

A theme is a universal idea, lesson, or message explored throughout a work of

literature. One key characteristic of literary themes is their universality, which
is to say that themes are ideas that not only apply to the specific characters and
events of a book or play, but also express broader truths about human experience
that readers can apply to their own lives. For instance, John Steinbeck's The
Grapes of Wrath (about a family of tenant farmers who are displaced from their land
in Oklahoma) is a book whose themes might be said to include the inhumanity of
capitalism, as well as the vitality and necessity of family and friendship.

Some additional key details about theme:

All works of literature have themes. The same work can have multiple themes,
and many different works explore the same or similar themes.
Themes are sometimes divided into thematic concepts and thematic statements. A
work's thematic concept is the broader topic it touches upon (love, forgiveness,
pain, etc.) while its thematic statement is what the work says about that topic.
For example, the thematic concept of a romance novel might be love, and, depending
on what happens in the story, its thematic statement might be that "Love is blind,"
or that "You can't buy love."
Themes are almost never stated explicitly. Oftentimes you can identify a work's
themes by looking for a repeating symbol, motif, or phrase that appears again and
again throughout a story, since it often signals a recurring concept or idea.

Theme Pronunciation

Here's how to pronounce theme: theem

Identifying Themes

Every work of literature�whether it's an essay, a novel, a poem, or something

else�has at least one theme. Therefore, when analyzing a given work, it's always
possible to discuss what the work is "about" on two separate levels: the more
concrete level of the plot (i.e., what literally happens in the work), as well as
the more abstract level of the theme (i.e., the concepts that the work deals with).
Understanding the themes of a work is vital to understanding the work's
significance�which is why, for example, every LitCharts Literature Guide uses a
specific set of themes to help analyze the text.

Although some writers set out to explore certain themes in their work before
they've even begun writing, many writers begin to write without a preconceived idea
of the themes they want to explore�they simply allow the themes to emerge naturally
through the writing process. But even when writers do set out to investigate a
particular theme, they usually don't identify that theme explicitly in the work
itself. Instead, each reader must come to their own conclusions about what themes
are at play in a given work, and each reader will likely come away with a unique
thematic interpretation or understanding of the work.
Symbol, Motif, and Leitwortstil

Writers often use three literary devices in particular�known as symbol, motif, and
leitwortstil�to emphasize or hint at a work's underlying themes. Spotting these
elements at work in a text can help you know where to look for its main themes.

Symbol: Broadly defined, a symbol is anything that represents another thing. In

literature, a symbol is often a tangible thing�an object, person, place, or
action�that represents something intangible.
Near the beginning of Romeo and Juliet, Benvolio promises to make Romeo
feel better about Rosaline's rejection of him by introducing him to more beautiful
women, saying "Compare [Rosaline's] face with some that I shall show�.and I will
make thee think thy swan a crow." Here, the swan is a symbol for how Rosaline
appears to the adoring Romeo, while the crow is a symbol for how she will soon
appear to him, after he has seen other, more beautiful women.
Symbols might occur once or twice in a book or play to represent an
emotion, and in that case aren't necessarily related to a theme. However, if you
start to see clusters of similar symbols appearing in a story, this may mean that
the symbols are part of an overarching motif, in which case they very likely are
related to a theme.
Motif: A motif is an element or idea that recurs throughout a work of
literature. Motifs, which are often collections of symbols, help reinforce the
central themes of a work.
For example, Shakespeare uses the motif of "dark vs. light" in Romeo and
Juliet to emphasize one of the play's main themes: the contradictory nature of
love. To develop this theme, Shakespeare describes the experience of love by
pairing contradictory, opposite symbols next to each other throughout the play: not
only crows and swans, but also night and day, moon and sun. These paired symbols
all fall into the overall pattern of "dark vs. light," and that overall pattern is
called a motif.
 Leitwortstil: Leitwortstil is a literary device�less common than motif�in which
writers use a repeated phrase to underscore important themes and concepts in a
work.
A famous example is Kurt Vonnegut's repetition of the phrase "So it goes"
throughout his novel Slaughterhouse Five, a novel which centers around the events
of World War II. Vonnegut's narrator repeats the phrase each time he recounts a
tragic story from the war, an effective demonstration of how the horrors of war
have become normalized for the narrator. The constant repetition of the phrase
emphasizes the novel's primary themes: the death and destruction of war, and the
futility of trying to prevent or escape such destruction, and both of those things
coupled with the author's skepticism that any of the destruction is necessary and
that war-time tragedies "can't be helped."

Symbol, motif and leitwortstil are simply techniques that authors use to emphasize
themes, and should not be confused with the actual thematic content at which they
hint. That said, spotting these tools and patterns can give you valuable clues as
to what might be the underlying themes of a work.
Thematic Concepts vs. Thematic Statements

A work's thematic concept is the broader topic it touches upon�for instance:

Judgement
Love
Revenge
Forgiveness

while its thematic statement is the particular argument the writer makes about that
topic through his or her work, such as:

Human judgement is imperfect.

Love cannot be bought.
Getting revenge on someone else will not fix your problems.
Learning to forgive is part of becoming an adult.

Should You Use Thematic Concepts or Thematic Statements?

Some people argue that when describing a theme in a work that simply writing a
thematic concept is insufficient, and that instead the theme must be described in a
full sentence as a thematic statement. Other people argue that a thematic
statement, being a single sentence, usually creates an artificially simplistic
description of a theme in a work and is therefore can actually be more misleading
than helpful. There isn't really a right answer in this debate.

In our LitCharts literature study guides, we usually identify themes in headings as

thematic concepts, and then explain the theme more fully in a few paragraphs. We
find thematic statements limiting in fully exploring or explaining a the theme, and
so we don't use them. Please note that this doesn't mean we only rely on thematic
concepts�we spend paragraphs explaining a theme after we first identify a thematic
concept. If you are asked to describe a theme in a text, you probably should
usually try to at least develop a thematic statement about the text if you're not
given the time or space to describe it more fully. For example, a statement that a
book is about "the senselessness of violence" is a lot stronger and more compelling
than just saying that the book is about "violence."
Identifying Thematic Statements

One way to try to to identify or describe the thematic statement within a

particular work is to think through the following aspects of the text:

Plot: What are the main plot elements in the work, including the arc of the
story, setting, and characters. What are the most important moments in the story?
How does it end? How is the central conflict resolved?
Protagonist: Who is the main character, and what happens to him or her? How
does he or she develop as a person over the course of the story?
Prominent symbols and motifs: Are there any motifs or symbols that are featured
prominently in the work�for example, in the title, or recurring at important
moments in the story�that might mirror some of the main themes?

After you've thought through these different parts of the text, consider what their
answers might tell you about the thematic statement the text might be trying to
make about any given thematic concept. The checklist above shouldn't be thought of
as a precise formula for theme-finding, but rather as a set of guidelines, which
will help you ask the right questions and arrive at an interesting thematic
interpretation.
Theme Examples

The following examples not only illustrate how themes develop over the course of a
work of literature, but they also demonstrate how paying careful attention to
detail as you read will enable you to come to more compelling conclusions about
those themes.
Themes in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby

Fitzgerald explores many themes inThe Great Gatsby, among them the corruption of
the American Dream.

Plot: The novel takes place in the summer of 1922 on Long Island, in a
community divided between West Egg, a town full of newly rich people with no social
connections, and East Egg, a town full of "old money"�inherited wealth�and people
with extensive connections.
The story's narrator is Minnesota-born Nick Caraway, a New York bonds
salesman. Nick befriends Jay Gatsby, the protagonist, who is a wealthy man who
throws extravagant parties at his mansion.
The central conflict of the novel is Gatsby's pursuit of Daisy, whom he met
and fell in love with as a young man, but parted from during World War I.
He makes a fortune illegally by bootlegging alcohol, to become the sort of
wealthy man he believes Daisy is attracted to, then buys a house near her home,
where she lives with her husband.
While he does manage to re-enter Daisy's life, she ultimately abandons him
and he dies as a result of her reckless, selfish behavior.
Prominent Symbol: The Green Light
Gatsby's house is on the water, and he stares longingly across the water at
a green light that hangs at the edge of a dock at Daisy's house which sits across a
the bay. The symbol of the light appears multiple times in the novel�during the
early stages of Gatsby's longing for Daisy, during his pursuit of her, and after he
dies without winning her love. It symbolizes both his longing for daisy and the
distance between them (the distance of space and time) that he believes
(incorrectly) that he can bridge.
Prominent Motif: Green
In addition to the green light, the color green appears regularly in the
novel. This motif of green broadens and shapes the symbolism of the green light and
also influences the novel's themes. While green always remains associated with
Gatsby's yearning for Daisy and the past, and also his ambitious striving to regain
Daisy, it also through the motif of repeated green becomes associated with money,
hypocrisy, and destruction. Gatsby's yearning for Daisy, which is idealistic in
some ways, also becomes clearly corrupt in others, which more generally impacts
what the novel is saying about dreams more generally and the American Dream in
particular.

Gatsby pursues the American Dream, driven by the idea that hard work can lead
anyone from poverty to wealth, and he does so for a single reason: he's in love
with Daisy. However, he pursues the dream dishonestly, making a fortune by illegal
means, and ultimately fails to achieve his goal of winning Daisy's heart.
Furthermore, when he actually gets close to winning Daisy's heart, she brings about
his downfall. Through the story of Gatsby and Daisy, Fitzgerald expresses the point
of view that the American Dream carries at its core an inherent corruption. You can
read more about the theme of The American Dream in The Great Gatsby here.
Themes in Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

In Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe explores the theme of the dangers of rigidly
following tradition.

Plot: The novel takes place in the Igbo community of Umuofia in Nigeria. It
provides an account of the clan's traditional way of life, and tells the story of
its brave and self-made leader, Okonkwo. When white colonists and Christian
missionaries begin to arrive, they undermine the traditional culture and threaten
the world Okonkwo has built.
Okonkwo is obsessed with embodying the masculine ideals of traditional Igbo
warrior culture.
Okonkwo's dedication to his clan's traditions is so extreme that it even
alienates members of his own family, one of whom joins the Christians.
The central conflict: Okonkwo's community adapts to colonization in order
to survive, becoming less warlike and allowing the minor injustices that the
colonists inflict upon them to go unchallenged. Okonkwo, however, refuses to adapt.
At the end of the novel, Okonkwo impulsively kills a Christian out of
anger. Recognizing that his community does not support his crime, Okonkwo kills
himself in despair.
Prominent Motif: Sacrifice
Throughout the novel, animals and humans alike are sacrificed according to
the clan's traditions. These physical sacrifices also represent the deeper
sacrifice individuals make when they suppress their own beliefs and desires to
follow a traditional code of behavior.
Clanswomen who give birth to twins abandon the babies in the forest to
die, according to traditional beliefs that twins are evil.
Okonkwo kills his beloved adopted son, a prisoner of war, according to
the clan's traditions.
Okonkwo sacrifices a goat in repentence, after severely beating his
wife during the clan's holy week.

Through the tragic story of Okonkwo, Achebe is clearly dealing with the theme of
tradition, but a close examination of the text reveals that he's also making a
clear thematic statement that following traditions too rigidly leads people to the
greatest sacrifice of all: that of personal agency. You can read more about this
theme in Things Fall Apart here.
Themes in Robert Frost's The Road Not Taken

Poem's have themes just as plot-driven narratives do. One theme that Robert Frost
explores in this famous poem, The Road Not Taken, is the illusory nature of free
will.

Situation:
The poem's speaker stands at a fork in the road, in a "yellow wood."
He (or she) looks down one path as far as possible, then takes the other,
which seems less worn.
The speaker then admits that the paths are about equally worn�there's
really no way to tell the difference�and that a layer of leaves covers both of the
paths, indicating that neither has been traveled recently.
After taking the second path, the speaker finds comfort in the idea of
taking the first path sometime in the future, but acknowledges that he or she is
unlikely to ever return to that particular fork in the woods.
The speaker imagines how, "with a sigh" she will tell someone in the
future, "I took the road less travelled�and that has made all the difference."
By wryly predicting his or her own need to romanticize, and retroactively
justify, the chosen path, the speaker injects the poem with an unmistakeable hint
of irony.
Prominent Motif: Life is a Journey
The speaker's journey is a symbol for life, and the two paths symbolize
different life paths, with the road "less-travelled" representing the path of an
individualist or lone-wolf. The fork where the two roads diverge represents an
important life choice. The road "not taken" represents the life path that the
speaker would have pursued had he or she had made different choices.

Frost's speaker has reached a fork in the road, which�according to the symbolic
language of the poem�means that he or she must make an important life decision.
However, the speaker doesn't really know anything about the choice at hand: the
paths appear to be the same from the speaker's vantage point, and there's no way he
or she can know where the path will lead in the long term. By showing that the only
truly informed choice the speaker makes is how he or she explains their decision
after they have already made it, Frost suggests that although we pretend to make
our own choices, our lives are actually governed by chance.
What's the Function of Theme in Literature?

Themes are a huge part of what readers ultimately take away from a work of
literature when they're done reading it. They're the universal lessons and ideas
that we draw from our experiences of works of art: in other words, they're part of
the whole reason anyone would want to pick up a book in the first place!

It would be difficult to write any sort of narrative that did not include any kind
of theme. The narrative itself would have to be almost completely incoherent in
order to seem theme-less, and even then readers would discern a theme about
incoherence and meaninglessness. So themes are in that sense an intrinsic part of
nearly all writing. At the same time, the themes that a writer is interested in
exploring will significantly impact nearly all aspects of how a writer chooses to
write a text. Some writers might know the themes they want to explore from the
beginning of their writing process, and proceed from there. Others might have only
a glimmer of an idea, or have new ideas as they write, and so the themes they
address might shift and change as they write. In either case, though, the writer's
ideas about his or her themes will influence how they write.

One additional key detail about themes and how they work is that the process of
identifying and interpreting them is often very personal and subjective. The
subjective experience that readers bring to interpreting a work's themes is part of
what makes literature so powerful: reading a book isn't simply a one-directional
experience, in which the writer imparts their thoughts on life to the reader,
already distilled into clear thematic statements. Rather, the process of reading
and interpreting a work to discover its themes is an exchange in which readers
parse the text to tease out the themes they find most relevant to their personal
experience and interests.

A Theme according to the google dictionary is - the subject of a talk, a piece of

writing, a person's thoughts, or an exhibition; a topic. There are many additional
definitions. When we apply this definition of theme to film and literature we get:

A theme is an underlying message, idea, or concept that motivates characters to

behave the way they do.
An author may start a work with a theme in mind or may write to a theme
unconsciously. A theme can also be seen as the moral of the story. There are large
themes and smaller themes. Any story will have one main theme with many smaller
themes as well, often forming a jigsaw puzzle of concepts, morals, and ideas.
Sometimes a work may have more than one major theme. Works such as �Lord of the
Rings�, and �Stars Wars� have themes coming out their ears. Let�s take a look at
some of the larger themes.

CONFLICT

Conflict in all its forms is seen here. Human vs. Self/Nature/Society/ etc.� are
all smaller themes that fit into this category. Any work of this kind will always
be about change, weather it is to resolve the conflict or make it worse. Poor
choices and great choices can be seen here, on topics of how to deal with, resolve,
create, and prevent conflict. Films such as �The Bourne Identity� or �Hitch� are
great examples of conflict. A literature example is �Catch-22�.

Good Vs. Evil

Nearly every movie ever has this theme somewhere in the plot line. This theme
brings up the age old philosophical question about what the right thing to do is.
What is a just cause? Works with this theme challenge ideas or concepts about
right, and wrong. When this theme is a major theme there will be two very easily
discernable opinions� that drive character goals in the work. This theme also often
highlights the idea of building or destroying a society. Often a villain will be on
the side of destruction and starting anew, while the good wants to preserve what�s
already there and build. Film examples include, �Bullet Proof Monk�, and �Batman
the Dark Night Rises�. An example in literature is �Divergent�.

The Battle

In works with this as a theme there is always a central battle that takes place.
The battle does not need to be over right or wrong, good or bad though it often is.
This theme centers on the idea of battles. It is usually easy for the audience to
pick a side they want to win. An example in film is, �Battleship�, and an example
in literature is �Atonement�.

The Nobel Sacrifice

This theme is all about the greater good. It is the idea that by giving up
something good you can receive something great. Works of this kind will always
build up a characters value and then for the greater good, will sacrifice it.
Whether it be a life, or possession. Sometimes others will nobly sacrifice
themselves for a person. This theme will always bring to the forefront a question
of true worth. An example in film is �Saving Private Ryan�, or Disney�s �The
Haunted Mansion�, and an example in literature is �The New Testament�.
 Overcoming Adversity

Have you ever faced an obstacle and overcome it? That is what this theme is meant
to remind you of. In works of this kind a character is faced with obstacles and
adversity of all sorts in large proportions. The adversity can be, losing a job,
being bullied, being rejected over and over, failing, getting sick, etc� You name
the struggle and bets are on that there is a movie about it. But in the end the
main character always reaches their goal or dream. As a viewer you are taken
through the transforming process the main character must go through. An example in
film is �The Blind Side� and an example in literature is �Unbroken: A World War 2
Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption�.

The Power Of Friendship

A sure fire way to make something more fun is to get your friends together and then
do it! The theme focuses on the bonds that make friends, and then tests these
bonds, or shows the benefits of them. From a shoulder to cry on, to counseling, the
benefits are many, but can they endure bad business decisions, lost loved ones, or
just general disagreement? That is what this theme explores. An example in film is
�The Sandlot� and an example in literature is �Harry Potter and The Goblet of
Fire�.

Love Conquers All

If you have a problem then love can fix it! At least that�s the idea. In many works
of this nature love may not be apparent at the start and may grow into the
solution, or it may test characters to see if their love is real by facing them
with trials. Works of this kind explore different kinds of love, ranging from
falling in love passionately to companionship love. An example in film is, �Beauty
and the Beast�, and an example in literature is �Ugly Love�.

The Quest

Ever gone on a long journey, or maybe just a long hike with a clear goal in mind?
Its seems the longer and farther you go the more you get to experience and think
about why you�re doing what you are, and the more that happens the more you learn,
thus the theme of the quest. Going on a journey or quest yields experience,
lessons, and often new relationships as is easily demonstrated by films such as
�The Lord of the Rings�, or �Star Wars�. Though these works have many other themes
there can be no doubt that the theme of the quest is amongst the large ones. Series
are often good indicators of this theme. An example in literature is �The Lightning
Thief �.

Yin & Yang/Maintaining Balance

Having a great day? Don�t worry, something will go wrong. At least according to yin
and yang it will, because good is balanced by evil. Works with this as the theme
have a character so focused on something that they think is �good� to the point
where they become unbalanced, allowing all the bad to come overcome them. If you
want to keep your relationship you will have to work for it, balancing your life to
keep that relationship intact, weather that is a job, person, or hobby. An example
in film is �Inside Out�. An example in literature is �Evil Genius�. �Evil Genius�
is a series in which yin and yang are a main theme as the books come together.

Coming Of Age

Great you�re old enough! Now you must deal with relationships, bills, children, the
IRS, school payments, all kinds of debt, credit cards, and even the dreaded in-
law�s! This theme is when a character must now face a problem, or situation that
their situation protected them from before. In the film �Brother Bear� a young man
is dejected when he comes of age in his tribe, but does not feel he is respected.
With the expectation of him to fulfill more jobs without additional recognition the
young man goes through an experience that teaches him the true meaning of
responsibly leading life. He �came of age� physically� but it took time for it to
happen spiritually. A great book with this theme is �Where the Wild Things Are�.

Spiritual Enlightenment

You are spiritual being having a human experience, but to know this you must be
spiritual enlightened. Works with this theme always have a character that gains
awareness of things around them. Their actions rationally change as a result of the
newly obtained knowledge. This theme is all over the T.V. series �Avatar the Last
Air Bender� as a young avatar must learn of the world he is expected to protect, he
find spiritual enlightenment to be the key. Spiritual enlightenment always results
in internal peace within the character. Whatever the problem is, the main character
can face it in peace because of their enlightenment. A book with this theme is the
�Book of Mormon�.

Realizing Leadership

There is leadership in you, but to find it you must lead! That is the theme of
realizing leadership. In some cases the main character is a follower who thinks
they should be the leader, and through many experiences realizes leadership in
others. Tension moments where a character must take charge are a staple of this
theme. A great film with this as the theme is �Enders Game�. It also is a great
book.

The Hero

Super heroes or just normal hero�s both fit into this theme. Here an extraordinary
person accomplishes an even more extraordinary feat, often working towards a vision
for society. The hero always faces an enemy while trying to live a normal life on
the side. Spider Man, Super Man, Bat Man, Wonder Woman, are all hero�s with their
own books or films. Some real life heroes are Gandhi, or Martin Luther Kind Jr.
They also have many films and books about them.

Death

Death in all its aspects are presented here, after death, impending death,
obsession with death, the idea of how to deal with death, grieving, and more are
all part of this theme. An example in film is, �Pay it Forward�, and an example in
literature is �The Lovely Bones�.

Revenge

Revenge can motivate and drive men to do horrible things. Any work with the theme
of revenge will be a work about resolve and journey. The tension and desire for
revenge is usually solved by the end, but does not have to be. It can end with the
tragic results of unresolved revenge, often leaving the main character desolate, or
it can be a happy where the main character can find peace. An example in film is,
�Mean Girls�, and an example in literature is �Hamlet�.

Definition of Theme
Theme is defined as a main idea or an underlying meaning of a literary work, which
may be stated directly or indirectly.
Major and Minor Themes

Major and minor themes are two types of themes that appear in literary works. A
major theme is an idea that a writer repeats in his literary work, making it the
most significant idea in the work. A minor theme, on the other hand, refers to an
idea that appears in a work briefly, giving way to another minor theme. Examples of
theme in Jane Austen�s �Pride and Prejudice� are matrimony, love, friendship, and
affection. The whole narrative revolves around the major theme of matrimony. Its
minor themes are love, friendship, affectation etc.
Difference Between a Theme and a Subject

It is important not to confuse a theme of a literary work with its subject. Subject
is a topic that acts as a foundation for a literary work, while a theme is an
opinion expressed on the subject. For example, a writer may choose a subject of war
for his story, and the theme may be his personal opinion that war is a curse for
humanity. Usually, it is up to the readers to explore the theme of a literary work
by analyzing characters, plot, and other literary devices.
Presentation of Themes

A writer presents themes in a literary work through several means. A writer may
express a theme through the feelings of his main character about the subject he has
chosen to write about. Similarly, themes are presented through thoughts and
conversations of different characters. Moreover, the experiences of the main
character in the course of a literary work give us an idea about its theme.
Finally, the actions and events taking place in a narrative are consequential in
determining its theme.
Short Examples of Theme

When the astronaut landed on the moon, he felt loneliness. Thinking there was
no one else, he became a little forlorned, though the view of Earth was stunningly
beautiful.
(Theme of lonesomeness)
The space travelers were travelling to the moon, when their spaceship suddenly
ran out of fuel. They were all frightened to learn that they wouldn�t be able to
return to Earth, and could only land on the moon.
(Theme of fear)
The bus was travelling at a great speed when it was stopped by a gang of
robbers. The passengers were ordered to get out, leaving their precious belongings
in the bus.
(Theme of fear)
Their marriage ceremony was taking place in a grand hotel. All the eminent
people of the city were invited, the reason that the celebration was excellent.
(Theme of happiness)
As soon as the clock struck 12 at noon, the jubilations started. It travelled
from East to West on the first day of the year.
(Theme of felicitation)
The religious leader was leading a huge congregation of followers, praying with
utmost humility.
(Theme of religiosity)
All the family members were dressed in black, with somber faces. They were
participating in the funeral ceremony of their deceased relative.
(Theme of gloom)
The cricket match was reaching a highpoint, the fans of both teams screaming
their support. It was an excellent game.
(Theme of cheerfulness)
The teacher said that she hoped all of her students would pass with good
grades.
 (Theme of optimism)
The father of the slowwitted student said he had no false hopes about his son�s
future.
(Theme of pessimism)
The immigrant looked around to talk to somebody, but could find no one who
spoke his language. He felt claustrophobic and desolate.
(Theme of hopelessness)
Only the laborers were working on Labor Day.
(Theme of irony)
The conference was in full swing, with scholars delivering knowledgeable
lectures on varying subjects. The audience enjoyed it immensely.
(Theme of learning)
The politician was delivering a speech on the need for peace between two
neighboring states. He said through peace they could achieve what not possible
through war.
(Theme of peace)
The general commanded his troops to open fire at the enemy, and to kill each
and every soldier of the combatants.
(Theme of war)

Examples of Theme in Literature

Example #1: Love and Friendship Theme

Love and friendship are frequently occurring themes in literature. They generate
emotional twists and turns in a narrative, and can lead to a variety of endings:
happy, sad, or bittersweet. The following are famous literary works with love and
friendship themes:

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Example #2: War Theme

The theme of war has been explored in literature since ancient times. literary woks
utilizing this theme may either glorify or criticize the idea of war. Most recent
literary works portray war as a curse for humanity, due to the suffering it
inflicts. Some famous examples include:

Iliad and Odyssey by Homer

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
Arms and the Man by Bernard Shaw
A Band of Brothers: Stories from Vietnam by Walter McDonald

Example #3: Crime and Mystery Themes

Crime and mystery are utilized in detective novels. Such narratives also include
sub-themes, such as �crimes cannot be hidden,� �evil is always punished,� and
others. Some well-known crime and mystery theme examples include:

The Murders in the Rue Morgue by Edgar Allan Poe

Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
Bleak House by Charles Dickens
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
Example #4: Revenge Theme

Revenge is another recurrent theme found in many popular literary works. A

character comes across certain circumstances that make him aware of his need for
revenge. The outcome of his action is often bitter, but sometimes they may end up
being satisfied. Examples are:

Hamlet and Macbeth by William Shakespeare

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet�s Nest by Stieg Larsson
A Time to Kill by John Grisham

Example #5: Annabel Lee (By Edgar Allan Poe)

�I was a child and she was a child,

In this kingdom by the sea,
But we loved with a love that was more than love�
I and my Annabel Lee�
With a love that the wing�d seraphs of Heaven
Coveted her and me.�

This short extract, taken from Poe�s poem, depicts the theme of love.
Example #6: The Charge of the Light Brigade (By Alfred Tennyson)

�Half a league, half a league,

Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
�Forward, the Light Brigade!
Charge for the guns!� he said:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.�

This extract from a poem by Tennyson has two interwoven themes. War is the main
theme of the poem, which naturally leads to death � while the theme of death is
interwoven with the theme of war.
Function of Theme

Theme is an element of a story that binds together various essential elements of a

narrative. It is often a truth that exhibits universality, and stands true for
people of all cultures. Theme gives readers better understanding of the main
character�s conflicts, experiences, discoveries, and emotions as they are derived
from them. Through themes, a writer tries to give his readers an insight into how
the world works, or how he or she views human life.

. Love

It shouldn't come as a surprise that the number one spot on our list goes to the
theme of love.

One of the most popular topics covered not only in books, but in movies and music
as well, love is a universal, multi-faceted theme that's been explored in a number
of ways throughout the history of literature.

First love, lost love, forbidden love, unrequited love; the love between partners,
between parents and children, between siblings, between friends; the power of love
to conquer all...
You name it � if it's got anything to do with love, it's a theme that's been
explored in multiple books.

So what are some different love theme examples in literature?

Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is obviously one of the first stories that comes
to mind � a tragic tale of forbidden love with terrible consequences.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is another classic example, exploring the
type of love that grows slowly, where there has once been dislike and
misunderstanding.
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bront� explores love in a different light,
highlighting the ways its intensity has the power to disrupt and even destroy
lives.
One of the key focuses of R. J. Palacio's Wonder is the unconditional, fierce
love between family, especially parents and children.

literary-theme-examples-1
Image via Pixabay
2. Death

Coming in at a close second is another of life and literature's universal themes:

death.

You'll be hard-pressed to find many books that don't deal with death in some way or
another. Whether it's an exploration of grief after the loss of a loved one, an
existential musing on the nature of the life-and-death cycle, or a question about
what, if anything, comes 'after', death is a popular topic across many genres.
Stay up to date with the most popular posts on Writer's Edit.

Here are some examples of books that explore this theme:

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is, in fact, narrated by Death himself,
exploring the nature of his role in taking human lives against the backdrop of WWII
Germany.
In The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold explores death through another unusual
perspective: that of a girl who has recently been murdered, and who watches over
her family in a sort of limbo state while trying to come to terms with her own
death.
The Fault in Our Stars features teenage characters coming to terms with their
mortality in the face of terminal illness.
J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series encompasses many themes (most, if not all
of the ones on this list, in fact!). But perhaps the most pervasive theme of the
series is death, which is explored constantly from the death of Harry's parents
through to Voldemort's final attempts to become immortal.

literary-theme-examples-2
Image via Pexels
3. Good vs. evil

The battle between good and evil is a theme that's particularly common in fantasy
series.

It doesn't need much explaining; books that explore this theme generally feature a
battle between good and evil, in which good usually (but not always) triumphs.

Some books featuring a good vs. evil theme:

The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien pits good quite clearly against evil
in its tale of hobbits, elves and men teaming up to defeat the power-hungry Sauron
and his armies of dark creatures.
George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series explores every nuance of
the concepts of 'good' and 'evil', from the portrayal of morally grey characters
through to the battle with the story's overarching villains, the White Walkers.
The Chronicles of Narnia, C. S. Lewis' magnum opus, follows four siblings who
pass into an entirely new world, in which they encounter characters both good (e.g.
Aslan) and evil (e.g. the White Witch).
Stephen King's post-apocalyptic novel The Stand also features the light-vs-dark
dichotomy, staging a battle between good and evil through the characters of of
Mother Abagail and Randall Flagg.

literary-theme-examples-3
Image via Pixabay
Essential Reading
9 Fiction Genres You Should Know About
4. Coming of age

Popular not only in children's and young adult books, but also adult literature as
well, coming of age is a commonly explored theme.

Stories that feature this theme tend to deal with experiences in a young
character's life that lead to a loss of innocence and/or a fundamental change in
their mindset and outlook on life.

Some coming of age theme examples:

The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger follows Holden Caulfield, a sixteen-

year-old boy dealing with teenage angst and rebellion in the 1950s.
Louisa May Alcott's classic Little Women chronicles four sisters' journeys from
childhood to womanhood in 19th century Massachusetts.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith is the turn-of-the-century coming of
age story of Francie Nolan, who learns the realities of life while growing up in
the slums of Williamsburg.
Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower is the story of teenage
Charlie navigating all the challenges that come with the time between adolescence
and adulthood.

literary-theme-examples-4
Image via SplitShire
5. Power and corruption

Power and corruption are two concepts that go hand-in-hand, and are explored as a
unified theme across many genres.

Power is explored in literature on many different levels, from power over other
people through to power over life or death itself. And with any type of power comes
the potential for corruption, often explored as misuse of power, or the lengths to
which someone will go to achieve it.

Some common examples of the power and corruption theme:

Shakespeare's Macbeth is the tragic tale of the title character seeking power
for its own sake, and dealing with the consequences of his own ambition.
Animal Farm by George Orwell is another classic exploration of the theme, an
allegorical story about a group of animals who rise up against their human masters
� with increasingly sinister results.
The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins features a dystopian society with a
totalitarian government that uses its power to mistreat, manipulate and even murder
its citizens.
 It's the second time we'll mention The Lord of the Rings on this list, but its
exploration of power and corruption is too central to its story to be left out! The
artefact at its heart is literally called the 'Ring of Power', after all, and it
was designed by Sauron specifically to corrupt those who wield it.

literary-theme-examples-5
Image via Pixabay
6. Survival

All creatures share the same basic instinct for survival, so it's no surprise that
this is a common theme throughout literature. In recent years, the surge in
popularity of the dystopian genre has made this theme even more prevalent.

Books exploring the theme of survival usually pit characters against an external
force such as the environment, a disease or a powerful antagonist.

Here are some survival theme examples across a few different genres...

Lord of the Flies by William Golding focuses on a group of young boys stranded
on a deserted island, chronicling their attempts to survive and govern themselves.
Yann Martel's Life of Pi is the story of a boy's attempts to survive after a
shipwreck, stranded on a boat in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
Room by Emma Donoghue tells a different story of survival: that of a woman who
has been kidnapped and held captive for seven years, and her five-year-old son, who
has never known life outside the room they live in.
Cormac McCarthy's The Road is a bleak dystopian exploration of the relationship
between a man and his son as they struggle to survive in a harsh and unforgiving
environment.

literary-theme-examples-6
Image via Pixabay
7. Courage and heroism

Tales of heroism and courage in the face of adversity have been popular for
hundreds, if not thousands of years. In fact, one of the most widely used story
structures in the world is something called the hero's journey.

This theme can be explored in different ways and on different scales, but perhaps
the most common are 'traditional' hero stories about characters who are essentially
destined for greatness, and, on the flipside, stories about 'unlikely' heroes who
achieve greatness despite the odds.

Well-known examples of this literary theme include:

Tolkien's The Hobbit tells the tale of unlikely hero Bilbo Baggins, who musters
his courage and leaves his quiet life as a homely hobbit to undertake an important
quest.
Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series follows the title character, whose father
is the god Poseidon, on a series of heroic adventures, fighting mythological
monsters and defeating dark forces.
Robin Hood, a character from English folklore, is famous for his acts of
heroism � namely, stealing from the rich and giving to the poor.
Beowulf, the Old English epic poem by an anonymous author, tells the story of
the title character, a hero who defeats monsters and villains in three different
battles.

literary-theme-examples-7
Image via Unsplash
8. Prejudice
A theme that is all too present in the world today, prejudice is also frequently
explored throughout literature.

Tales of characters overcoming their prejudice and changing their way of thinking
for the better are common, but so are explorations of the destructive consequences
prejudice and hasty judgement can have.

Some examples of books about prejudice:

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is one of the most famous explorations of

prejudice and racism: white lawyer Atticus Finch is appointed to defend Tom
Robinson, a black man falsely accused of the crime of rape.
We've already mentioned this one, but we couldn't help but bring it in again �
after all, it's right there in the title! Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice tells a
love story based around mistaken first impressions and judgements.
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas explores the pertinent issue of
institutionalised racism and prejudice through the story of Starr Carter, who
witnesses the fatal shooting of her (black and unarmed) best friend by a police
officer.
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein explores prejudice and fear of the unknown through
the story of Dr. Frankenstein and the 'monster' he creates.

literary-theme-examples-8
Image via Unsplash
9. Individual vs. society

Stories with this theme revolves around a main character who is something of an
outsider, at odds with the society they live in.

They're different from most, if not all of the people around them, and they usually
either struggle to fit in with society's expectations or rebel against them
(sometimes both). This theme is especially popular in dystopian fiction.

'Individual vs. society' theme examples include the following:

Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell, perhaps the most famous dystopian novel
in the world, follows protagonist Winston Smith as he rebels against an oppressive
government.
Huckleberry Finn features a title character who finds it hard to fit into
society, so runs away from home to have his own adventures.
The Giver, a YA dystopian series by Lois Lowry, is the story of a boy named
Jonas who grows up 'different' in a society founded on 'sameness'.
Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 features a society in which books are not only
banned, but burned, following protagonist and 'fireman' Guy Montag as he decides to
start saving books instead.

literary-theme-examples-9
Image via Pixabay
10. War

Our final theme is one that's been relevant for thousands of years: war.

From historical novels exposing the horrors of real-world wars, to speculative

fiction stories featuring epic battles between fantastical characters, war is
portrayed consistently throughout the history of literature.

Some famous books exploring this theme:

 Set during WWI, Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms follows Lieutenant
Frederic Henry's attempts to leave the horrors of war behind.
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy has war as one of its main focuses; specifically,
Napoleon's invasion of Russia and its impact on five Russian families.
Slaughterhouse Five is written by war veteran Kurt Vonnegut, and has been
called an 'anti-war' novel due to its exploration of the destructiveness of World
War II, particularly the firebombing of Dresden.
Margaret Mitchell's classic Gone with the Wind is set in Georgia and Atlanta
and follows the spoiled daughter of a plantation owner during the American Civil
War.

10 of the Most Common Book Themes

While there are countless themes found in books, there are a few that we can see in
many books. These universal themes are popular among authors and readers alike
because they are experiences we can relate to.

To give you some ideas on finding a book's theme, let's explore some of the most
popular and discover examples of those themes in well-known books. Remember,
however, that the messages in any piece of literature can go much deeper than this,
but it will at least give you a good starting point.

Judgment - Possibly one of the most common themes is judgment. In these books,
a character is judged for being different or doing wrong, whether the infraction is
real or just perceived as wrongdoing by others. Among classic novels, we can see
this in "The Scarlet Letter," "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," and "To Kill a
Mockingbird." As these tales prove, the judgment does not always equal justice,
either.
Survival - There is something captivating about a good survival story, one in
which the main characters must overcome countless odds just to live another day.
Almost any book by Jack London falls into this category because his characters
often battle nature. "Lord of the Flies" is another in which life and death are
important parts of the story. Michael Crichton's "Congo" and "Jurassic Park"
certainly follow this theme.
Peace and War - The contradiction between peace and war is a popular topic for
authors. Quite often, the characters are gripped in the turmoil of conflict while
hoping for days of peace to come or reminiscing about the good life before the war.
Books such as "Gone With the Wind" show the before, during, and after of war, while
others focus on the time of war itself. Just a few examples include "All Quiet on
the Western Front," "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas," and "For Whom the Bell
Tolls."
Love - The universal truth of love is a very common theme in literature and you
will find countless examples of it. They go beyond those sultry romance novels,
too. Sometimes, it is even intertwined with other themes. Think of books like Jane
Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" or Emily Bronte's "Wuthering Heights." For a modern
example, just look at Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" series.
Heroism - Whether it is false heroism or true heroic acts, you will often find
conflicting values in books with this theme. We see it quite often in classical
literature from the Greeks, with Homer's "The Odyssey" serving as a perfect
example. You can also find it in more recent stories such as "The Three Musketeers"
and "The Hobbit."
Good and Evil - The coexistence of good and evil is another popular theme. It
is often found alongside many of these other themes such as war, judgment, and even
love. Books such as the "Harry Potter" and "Lord of the Rings" series use this as
the central theme. Another classic example is "The Lion, The Witch, and The
Wardrobe."
Circle of Life - The notion that life begins with birth and ends with death is
nothing new to authors�many incorporate this into the themes of their books. Some
may explore immortality such as in "The Picture of Dorian Gray." Others, such as
Tolstoy's "The Death of Ivan Ilych," shock a character into realizing that death
inevitable. In a story like F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Curious Case of Benjamin
Button," the circle of life theme is turned completely upside down.
Suffering - There is physical suffering and internal suffering and both are
popular themes, often intertwined with others. A book such as Fyodor Dostoevsky's
"Crime and Punishment" is filled with suffering as well as guilt. One like Charles
Dickens' "Oliver Twist" looks more at the physical suffering of impoverished
children, though there is plenty of both.
Deception - This theme can also take on many faces. Deception can be physical
or social and it's all about keeping secrets from others. For instance, we see many
lies in "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" and many of Shakespeare's plays are
centered on deception at some level. Any mystery novel has some sort of deception
as well.
Coming of Age - Growing up is not easy, which is why so many books rely on a
"coming of age" theme. This is one in which children or young adults mature through
various events and learn valuable life lessons in the process. Books such as "The
Outsiders" and "The Catcher in the Rye" use this theme very well.

Literature

Themes in literature are often varied and hidden. Sometimes you can get through an
entire book and not realize what the author meant. However, this is a good basic
list that you can build from. Remember that some books have multiple themes.

Beauty of simplicity
Capitalism � effect on the individual
Change of power � necessity
Change versus tradition
Chaos and order
Character � destruction, building up
Circle of life
Coming of age
Communication � verbal and nonverbal
Companionship as salvation
Convention and rebellion
Dangers of ignorance
Darkness and light
Death � inevitable or tragedy
Desire to escape
Destruction of beauty
Disillusionment and dreams
Displacement
Empowerment
Emptiness of attaining false dream
Everlasting love
Evils of racism
Facing darkness
Facing reality
Fading beauty
Faith versus doubt
Family � blessing or curse
Fate and free will
Fear of failure
Female roles
Fulfillment
Good versus bad
Greed as downfall
Growing up � pain or pleasure
Hazards of passing judgment
Heartbreak of betrayal
Heroism � real and perceived
Hierarchy in nature
Identity crisis
Illusion of power
Immortality
Individual versus society
Inner versus outer strength
Injustice
Isolation
Isolationism � hazards
Knowledge versus ignorance
Loneliness as destructive force
Losing hope
Loss of innocence
Lost honor
Lost love
Love and sacrifice
Man against nature
Manipulation
Materialism as downfall
Motherhood
Names � power and significance
Nationalism � complications
Nature as beauty
Necessity of work
Oppression of women
Optimism � power or folly
Overcoming � fear, weakness, vice
Patriotism � positive side or complications
Power and corruption
Power of silence
Power of tradition
Power of wealth
Power of words
Pride and downfall
Progress � real or illusion
Quest for discovery
Quest for power
Rebirth
Reunion
Role of men
Role of Religion � virtue or hypocrisy
Role of women
Self � inner and outer
Self-awareness
Self-preservation
Self-reliance
Social mobility
Technology in society � good or bad
Temporary nature of physical beauty
Temptation and destruction
Totalitarianism
Vanity as downfall
Vulnerability of the meek
Vulnerability of the strong
 War � glory, necessity, pain, tragedy
Will to survive
Wisdom of experience
Working class struggles
Youth and beauty

Movies

Movies generally have one or two themes, but not many more. The themes in movies
are often said outright instead of hinted at. Some of the popular themes from
movies today include:

Abuse of power
Arrogance
Art
Autonomy
Beating the odds
Beauty
Beliefs
Betrayal
Bible
Bravery
Celebration
Chance
Change
Chaos and order
Children
Circle of life
Coming of age
Common sense
Conservation
Conspiracy
Creation
Crime
Courage
Darkness and lightness
Death
Dedication
Democracy
Desire to escape
Despair
Disillusionment
Economics
Effects from the past
Empowerment
Everlasting love
Evils by humanity
Facing reality
Failure
Family
Fate
Fear
Feminism
Freedom
Friendship
Future
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender rights
God
Good vs Evil
Government
Greed
Growing Up
Happiness
Hate
Heritage
Hero
Heroism
Hope
Humor
Human Nature
Identity
Ideology
Ignorance
Illusion of power
Individuality
Inner peace
Innocence
Isolation
Jealousy
Justice
Kindness
Knowledge
Law
Leadership
Liberty
Life
Logic
Losing hope
Loss of innocence
Lost love
Love and sacrifice
Loyalty
Man vs nature
Man vs man
Man vs self
Man vs machine
Mankind
Maturity
Medicine
Mercy
Morality
Nationalism
Nature
Necessity
Optimism
Neglect
Normality
Opportunity
Optimism
Overcoming
Passion
Patience
Patriotism
Peace
Perfection
Peer pressure
Perseverance
Power and corruption
 Prejudice
Pride
Progress
Purpose
Quests
Race
Reality
Redemption
Regret
Religion
Resistance
Reunion
Revolution
Revenge
Sanity
Secrecy
Segregation
Self-awareness
Self-discipline
Simplicity
Society
Social Construct
Solitude
Soul
Suicide
Survival
Technology
Temptation
Time
Tolerance
Travel
Trust
Truth
Universe
Unselfishness
Valor
Vices
Violence
Virtue
War
Waste
Wealth
Wisdom
Willpower
Winning and losing
Xenophobia
Youth

Poetry

Themes in poetry are often quite apparent, but that isn�t always the case.
Sometimes the theme doesn�t make itself apparent and is instead up to the reader.
Reading a poem aloud often helps with understanding the theme. Here are some
examples:

Adversity
Aging
America
Angels
Beauty
Birds
Change
Childhood
Comfort after death
Courage
Death
Deception
Destiny
Dying
Depression
Dreams
Dying
Earth
Emotions
Encouraging
Faith
Fame
Fate
Fear
Flowers
Forgiveness
Freedom
Friendship
Funerals
God
Gratitude
Grief
Happiness
Hate
Heartbreak
Heaven
Hope
Humility
Identity
Imagination
Impossibility
Innocence
Inner Peace
Inspiration
Jealousy
Joy
Justice
Knowledge
Life
Life � purpose of
Love
Marriage
Memories
Mountains
Mourning
Music
Nature
New Year
Not Giving Up
Oneness
Opportunity
Overcoming
Pain
Patience
Peace
Prayer
Regret
Revenge
Roses
Sadness
Simplicity
Sin
Soul
Stars
Suffering
Sympathy
Time
Trees
Trust
Unconditional love
War
Work