What  Is Theme in Literature?

“Theme is the central idea or meaning of a story. It provides a unifying poin around which the plot, characters, setting, oint of view, symbols, and other elements of a story are organized. … ”  Meyer & Miller, The Compact Introduction to Literature, pg. 188.

A List of Some of the Possible Themes in Literature

Alienation
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
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 [or good versus evil]
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
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
Ritual
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
Tradition
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