What is Theme? :
What is Theme? Theme is the central idea or meaning of a story
It unifies all other literary elements such as:
Plot
Characters
Setting
Point of View
Symbol
What is Theme cont… :
What is Theme cont… Theme of a story is the underlying meaning behind the events that take place
It is fused into the elements of the story and requires close analysis in order to have a better insight into the story and its meaning.
Finding the Theme :
Finding the Theme First you must distinguish between the subject and the theme.
Subjects may be an overlying idea of the story but not always the theme.
Example: The idea of ‘Love’ in About Love is a subject but not the theme.
There is no exact way to express a work’s theme but with a close analysis of the other elements of the story it is easier to come to a conclusion about what it is.
Two Types of Theme :
Two Types of Theme Implicit Theme: An implicit theme is when the author hides the underlying message of the story.
Example: Camus’ novel The Stranger. The theme is open to interpretation such as “Meursault vs. Society”.
Explicit Theme: An Explicit Theme is a underlying message that the author makes very clear to the audience.
Example: Book of Genesis states “Be fruitful and multiply”
Theme in About Love :
Theme in About Love Theme: Carpe Diem which means “Seize the day” in Latin.
Among all the things happening in the story Anton Chekhov is trying to convey to the readers to “Seize the day”.
In the story Anna and Pavel do not seize the day and therefore their love is forced to come to an end.
Carpe Diem links the other aspects of the story into its theme.
Theme in Frankenstein :
Theme in Frankenstein Theme is “Creator versus Creation”
The desire for companionship is the subject and is in correlation with the Creator versus Creation theme and connects the other elements of the story together.