Theme ( narrative ) - wikipedia Theme ( narrative ) In contemporary literary studies, a theme is the central topic a text treats. Themes can be divided into two categories : a work 's thematic concept is what readers `` think the work is about '' and its thematic statement being `` what the work says about the subject ''. The most common contemporary understanding of theme is an idea or point that is central to a story, which can often be summed in a single word ( e.g. love, death, betrayal ). Typical examples of themes of this type are conflict between the individual and society ; coming of age ; humans in conflict with technology ; nostalgia ; and the dangers of unchecked ambition. A theme may be exemplified by the actions, utterances, or thoughts of a character in a novel. An example of this would be the thematic idea of loneliness in John Steinbeck 's Of Mice and Men, wherein many of the characters seem to be lonely. It may differ from the thesis -- the text 's or author 's implied worldview. A story may have several themes. Themes often explore historically common or cross-culturally recognizable ideas, such as ethical questions, and are usually implied rather than stated explicitly. An example of this would be whether one should live a seemingly better life, at the price of giving up parts of one 's humanity, which is a theme in Aldous Huxley 's Brave New World. Along with plot, character, setting, and style, theme is considered one of the components of fiction. Contents 1 Techniques 1.1 Leitwortstil 1.2 Thematic patterning 2 Common themes 3 See also 4 Notes 5 References 6 External links Techniques Various techniques may be used to express many more themes. Leitwortstil Leitwortstil is the repetition of a wording, often with a theme, in a narrative to make sure it catches the reader 's attention. An example of a leitwortstil is the recurring phrase, `` So it goes '', in Kurt Vonnegut 's novel Slaughterhouse - Five. Its seeming message is that the world is deterministic : that things only could have happened in one way, and that the future already is predetermined. But given the anti-war tone of the story, the message perhaps is on the contrary, that things could have been different. A non-fictional example of leitwortstil is in the book Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart : Thirty True Things You Need to Know Now written by Gordon Livingston, which is an anthology of personal anecdotes multiple times interjected by the phrases `` Do n't do the same thing and expect different results '', `` It is a bad idea to lie to yourself '', and `` No one likes to be told what to do ''. Thematic patterning Thematic patterning means the insertion of a recurring motif in a narrative. For example, various scenes in John Steinbeck 's Of Mice and Men are about loneliness. Thematic patterning is evident in One Thousand and One Nights, an example being the story of `` The City of Brass ''. According to David Pinault, the overarching theme of that tale, in which a group of travelers roam the desert in search of ancient brass artifacts, is that `` riches and pomp tempt one away from God ''. The narrative is interrupted several times by stories within the story. These include a tale recorded in an inscription found in the palace of Kush ibh Shaddad ; a story told by a prisoner about Solomon ; and an episode involving Queen Tadmur 's corpse. According to Pinault, `` each of these minor narratives introduces a character who confesses that he once proudly enjoyed worldly prosperity : subsequently, we learn, the given character has been brought low by God... These minor tales ultimately reinforce the theme of the major narrative ''. Common themes This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( July 2016 ) Some common themes in literature are `` change versus tradition, '' `` circle of life, '' `` fear of failure, '' `` individual versus society, '' `` loss of innocence, '' and `` role of religion. '' See also Literary element Moral Motif ( narrative ) Notes Jump up ^ Oxford English Dictionary, retrieved January 26, 2012 Jump up ^ Griffith, Kelley ( 2010 ), Writing Essays about Literature ( 8 ed. ), Cengage Learning, p. 40, ISBN 1428290419, retrieved February 10, 2013 Jump up ^ Kirszner, Laura G. ; Mandell, Stephen R. ( 1994 ), Fiction : Reading, Reacting, Writing, Paulinas, pp. 3 -- 4, ISBN 015501014X, retrieved February 11, 2013 Jump up ^ Weitz, Morris ( 2002 ), `` Literature Without Philosophy : `` Antony and Cleopatra '' ``, Shakespeare Survey, 28, Cambridge University Press, p. 30, ISBN 0521523656, retrieved February 10, 2013 Jump up ^ Obstfeld ( 2002, pp. 1, 65,115,171 ) Jump up ^ Pinault, David ( 1992 ), Story Telling Techniques in the `` Arabian Nights '', Studies in Arabic Literature, 15, Brill, p. 18, ISBN 9004095306, retrieved February 10, 2013 Jump up ^ Pinault, David. 1992. Story - telling techniques in the Arabian nights. Leiden : Brill. p. 22. ISBN 9004095306 Jump up ^ Scalia, Joseph E. ; Shamblin, Lena T. & Research and Education Association ( 2001 ), John Steinbeck 's Of mice and men, Piscataway, N.J : Research & Education Association, p. 13, ISBN 087891997X, retrieved February 11, 2013 Jump up ^ Heath, Peter ( May 1994 ), `` Reviewed work ( s ) Story - Telling Techniques in the Arabian Nights by David Pinault '', International Journal of Middle East Studies, Cambridge University Press, 26 ( 2 ) : 358 -- 360 ( 359 -- 60 ), doi : 10.1017 / s0020743800060633 ^ Jump up to : Pinault, David. 1992. Story - telling techniques in the Arabian nights. Leiden : Brill. p. 23. ISBN 9004095306 Jump up ^ `` A Huge List of Common Themes - Literary Devices ''. Literary Devices. 2015 - 12 - 02. Retrieved 2017 - 11 - 13. References Obstfeld, Raymond ( 2002 ), Fiction First Aid : Instant Remedies for Novels, Stories and Scripts, Cincinnati, OH : Writer 's Digest Books, ISBN 1 - 58297 - 117 - X External links The dictionary definition of theme at Wiktionary hide Narrative Character Antagonist Antihero Archenemy Character arc Characterization Deuteragonist False protagonist Focal character Foil Protagonist Stock character Supporting character Tritagonist Narrator Tragic hero Plot Action Backstory Cliché Climax Cliffhanger Conflict Deus ex machina Dialogue Dramatic structure Exposition Eucatastrophe Foreshadowing Flashback Flashforward Frame story In medias res Pace Plot device Plot twist Poetic justice Reveal Self - fulfilling prophecy Subplot Trope Kishōtenketsu Setting Backstory Utopia Dystopia Alternate history Fictional location city country universe Theme Leitmotif Metaphor Moral Motif Irony Style Allegory Bathos Diction Figure of speech Imagery Narrative techniques Narration Stylistic device Suspension of disbelief Symbolism Tone Mode Mood Structure Linear narrative Nonlinear narrative films television series Types of fiction with multiple endings Form Comics Epic Fable Fabliau Fairy tale Folktale Flash fiction Legend Novella Novel Parable Play Poem Screenplay Short story Genre Action fiction Adventure Comic Crime Docufiction Epistolary Erotic Fiction Fantasy Gothic Historical Horror Magic realism Mystery Nautical Paranoid Philosophical Picaresque Political Psychological Romance Saga Satire Science Speculative Superhero Thriller Urban Western List of writing genres Narration First - person Multiple narrators Stream of consciousness Stream of unconsciousness Unreliable Tense Past Present Future Related Audience Author Creative nonfiction Fiction writing Literary theory Literary science Narratology Monomyth Rhetoric Screenwriting Storytelling Tellability Literature portal Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Theme_(narrative)&oldid=842786825 '' Categories : Literary concepts Narrative units Fiction Hidden categories : Articles needing additional references from July 2016 All articles needing additional references All articles lacking reliable references Articles lacking reliable references from March 2018 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Español Esperanto فارسی Français Gagauz Galego 한국어 Bahasa Indonesia עברית ქართული Latina Nederlands ਪੰਜਾਬੀ Română Simple English Basa Sunda Suomi Svenska Türkçe Українська Tiếng Việt 13 more Edit links This page was last edited on 24 May 2018, at 17 : 18. 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Question: what is the main theme of a story
Answer: idea or point that is central to a story, which can often be summed in a single word