Which TWO statements best identify the central themes of the story a story without a title

One of the first questions to ask upon hearing someone has written a story is, “What’s it about?” or “What’s the point?” Short answers may range from love to betrayal or from the coming of age to the haziness of memory. The central idea, topic, or point of a story, essay, or narrative is its theme.

II. Examples of Theme

Example 1

A man, fueled by an urge for power and control due to his own pride, builds a supercomputer. That supercomputer then takes over the world, causing chaos and struggle galore.

This sci-fi style story contains many common themes. A few of its themes include:

• Danger of excessive pride
• The risky relationship between humankind and developing technology

Example 2

A boy and a girl fall in love. The boy is forced to join the army and fights to survive in a war-torn country as his beloved waits at home. When he returns from war, the two are united and married.

The love story also has many common themes in literature:

• The power of true love
• Fate, which sometimes tears lovers apart and then joins them together
• War

As can be seen from these examples, themes can range widely from ideas, as large as love and war, to others as specific as the relationship between humankind and technology.

III. Types of Theme

Just as a life is not constantly immersed in love, the pursuit of knowledge, or the struggle of the individual versus society, themes are not always constantly present in a story or composition. Rather, they weave in and out, can disappear entirely, or appear surprisingly mid-read. This is because there are two types of themes: major and minor themes.

a. Major Themes

Major themes are, just as they sound, the more important and enduring themes of the narrative. Major themes are the most significant themes of the story, and often they are a part of the entire story. A book on war would have the major theme of war’s effect on humanity, whereas a romance novel would have the major theme of love.

b. Minor Themes

Minor themes are, on the other hand, less important and less enduring. They may appear for part of the narrative only to be replaced by another minor theme later in the narrative. They provide discussion points for a chapter or two, but do not color the entire story. A book on war may have minor themes such as the home front’s reaction to war or the political aspects of war. A romance novel may have minor themes such as flirtation, marriage, and fidelity.

IV. The Importance of Using Theme

The importance of using theme in narrative is unparalleled. The theme is the underlining idea an author is trying to convey to an audience. A story without major ideas for the character and reader to experience, think through, and learn from is not a story at all. A story, by its very nature, must have a theme, sometimes many major and minor themes, all throughout. Themes are the ideas book clubs, poets, playwrights, literature students, film enthusiasts, movie-makers, and creative writers mull over in-depth. They are the meaning behind the entire story, the deeper reasons that the story has been written and shared.

V. Examples of Theme in Literature

Theme is a prominent element in literature. Here are a few examples of theme in poetry and prose:

Example 1

“i carry your heart with me(i carry it in)” by E. E. Cummings:

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in

my heart)i am never without it(anywhere

i go you go,my dear;and whatever is done

by only me is your doing,my darling)

                                                      i fear

no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want

no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)

and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant

and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows

(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud

and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows

higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)

and this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

This poem’s major theme is clear: love. Minor themes include fate, togetherness, and desire.

Example 2

Atonement by Ian McEwan is an example of a novel whose theme is its title. Here are a few revealing excerpts:

How can a novelist achieve atonement when, with her absolute power of deciding outcomes, she is also God? There is no one, no entity or higher form that she can appeal to, or be reconciled with, or that can forgive There is nothing outside her. In her imagination she has set the limits and the terms. No atonement for God, or novelists, even if they are atheists. It was always an impossible task, and that was precisely the point. The attempt was all.

This section reveals the main theme of atonement along with other minor themes such as the life of the writer and forgiveness.

VI. Examples of Theme in Pop Culture

Just as literary narratives require themes, songs, movies, and television shows do as well. Here are a few examples of theme in pop culture:

Example 1

The trailer shows that the main theme of Godzilla is nature, as a powerful and destructive force to be reckoned with. Other themes include the human effect on nature, fear of the unknown, and hubris.

Example 2

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

The main theme of this movie is positivity in the face of a bad day, as they happen to all of us. Other themes include family, perseverance, and love.

VII. Related Terms

Because themes encompass main ideas in a narrative, they have many similar elements which do similar things for a narrative. Here are a few examples:

Moral

“And the moral of the story is…” As many fables and tales go, morals are a necessary element. They are the main message or lesson to be learned from reading a cautionary story. Although themes and morals are both major ideas in a story, they are different in that themes do not necessarily serve to teach a lesson, whereas morals always do. A theme is simply an idea to be examined, whereas a moral is a clear lesson to be learned. Here is an example of theme versus moral:

Theme:

Love

Moral:

Love others the way you would like to be loved.

Whereas the theme is simply an idea, the moral is a message and instruction.

Motif

Motifs work in a story to emphasize the theme, and for this reason, is sometimes confused with the theme. Motifs are recurring images, objects, or ideas that highlight the theme. Here is one example of how motif works with theme:

Theme:

Regret

Motifs:

A man is struggling with regret throughout a story. Motifs like dark dreams, repetitive thoughts, and dark lighting emphasize the mood and pervasiveness of the regret.

Whereas the theme is a larger idea, the motifs are smaller elements of a story which repeat in order to reflect that idea.

VIII. In Closing

Themes are the ideas that run through narratives, enlivening them with deeper meaning to be found in real life and fiction alike. They create stories that are not dull but compelling and emotional.

If you've ever been assigned a book report, you may have been asked to address the theme of the book. In order to do that, you really have to understand what a theme is. Many people, when asked to describe the theme of a book will describe the plot synopsis, but that's not the same as the theme. 

A book's theme is the main idea that flows through the narrative and connects the components of the story together. A work of fiction may have one theme or many, and they aren't always easy to pinpoint right away. In many stories, the theme develops over time, and it isn't until you're well into reading the novel or short story that you fully understand the underlying theme or themes. 

Themes can be broad or they can focus on a specific notion. For example, a romance novel may have the obvious, but very general, theme of love, but the storyline may also address issues of society or family. Many stories have a major theme and several minor themes that help develop the major theme. 

A book's theme is not the same as its plot or its moral lesson, but these elements are related and necessary in building the larger story. The plot of a novel is the action that takes place within the course of the narrative. The moral is the lesson that the reader is supposed to learn from the plot's conclusion. Both reflect the larger theme and work to present what that theme is to the reader.

A story's theme isn't typically stated outright. Often it is suggested by a thinly veiled lesson or details contained within the plot. In the nursery tale "The Three Little Pigs," the narrative revolves around three pigs and a wolf's pursuit of them. The wolf destroys their first two homes, shoddily built of straw and twigs. But the third home, painstakingly built of brick, protects the pigs and the wolf is defeated. The pigs (and the reader) learn that only hard work and preparation will lead to success. Thus, you can say that the theme of "The Three Little Pigs" is about making smart choices.

If you find yourself struggling to identify the theme of a book you're reading, there's a simple trick you can use. When you finish reading, ask yourself to sum up the book in a single word. For example, you could say preparation best symbolizes "The Three Little Pigs." Next, use that word as the foundation for a complete thought such as, "Making smart choices requires planning and preparation, which could be interpreted as the moral of the story." 

As with any art form, the theme of a novel or short story may not necessarily be clear. Sometimes, writers will use a character or object as a symbol or motif that hints at a larger theme or themes.

Consider the novel "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn," which recounts the story of an immigrant family living in New York City in the early 20th century. The tree growing up through the sidewalk in front of their apartment is more than just part of the neighborhood background. The tree is a feature of both the plot and the theme. It thrives in spite of its harsh surroundings, much like the main character Francine as she comes of age. 

Even years later, when the tree has been chopped down, a small green shoot remains. The tree serves as a stand-in for Francine's immigrant community and the themes of resilience in the face of adversity and the pursuit of the American dream.

There are several themes that are reoccurring in literature, many of which we can identify quickly. But some themes are a little harder to figure out. Consider these popular general themes in literature to see if any of them might be appearing in something you're reading right now.

• Family
• Friendship
• Love
• Overcoming hardships
• Coming of age
• Death
• Struggling with inner demons
• Good vs. Evil

Once you've determined what the main theme of the story is, you're almost ready to write your book report. But before you do, you may need to consider what components of the story stood out the most to you. To accomplish this, you may need to reread the text to find examples of the theme of the book. Be concise; you don't need to repeat every detail of the plot or use multi-sentence quotes from a character in the novel, a few key examples can suffice. Unless you're writing an extensive analysis, a few short sentences should be all you need to provide evidence of a book's theme.

Pro Tip: As you read, use sticky notes to flag significant passages that you think may point to the theme; consider all of them together once you've finished reading. 

• Theme: The main idea that connects all elements of the narrative. 
• Plot: The action that takes place over the course of the narrative.
• Moral: A lesson that the reader is intended to learn from the plot's conclusion.
• Symbolism: The use of a particular object or image to represent a larger idea. 

Article edited by Stacy Jagodowski