Common Themes in Literature 1. The Individual in Nature a. Nature is at war with each of us and proves our vulnerability. People are out of place in Nature and need technology to survive. People are destroying nature and themselves with uncontrolled technology. The Individual in Society a. Society and a person's inner nature are always at war.
Social influences determine a person's final destiny.
Social influences can only complete inclinations formed by Nature. A person's identity is determined by place in society. In spite of the pressure to be among people, and individual is essentially alone and frightened. An individual's Relation to the gods. The gods mock the individual and torture him or her for presuming to be great.