What Is The Theme Of A Story: Everything You Need To Know

What is the theme of a story that moves you? When you close your most recent favorite book (if you’re anything like me, your favorite titles change with each new read!), what about it struck you? 

If you read a novel, you may say the character development grabbed your attention or specific character traits the hero grew to embody moved you at a deep level. 

For nonfiction, perhaps you loved the specific book genre or storyline but can’t identify why. Each of these thoughts begs the question: what is the theme of a story? Or, more pointedly, what theme drew you to this particular book you just read? Let’s take a nuanced look at fiction themes and how to incorporate the best themes for your book into your manuscript! 

What is the theme of a story: what you learn

• How do you identify a theme?
• What is a theme of a story: 5 examples
• How to write the theme of a story?
• What is the meaning of main theme?
• What is the main theme of the story?

How do you identify a theme?

Finding what is the theme of a story starts with a good look at the specific plot structure the novel follows. For example, if you read a book whose plot points focus on two people falling in love, you can safely assume that love is a key theme. 

But how do you identify a theme in a novel you want to write? After all, knowing the core of your book (your theme) is crucial to grasp before delving into subplots, peripheral characters, and the rest of the detail-work that makes a great read. 

It’s helpful to start by asking, What’s my book about? My writing mentor once said he wanted to write a novel about a judge who tries a man for a murder the judge committed. This idea sparked a thirteen-book series, but what is the theme? 

Based off the above phrase alone, you can consider themes such as:

• Good vs evil
• Corruption
• Revenge 
• Justice

Simply settling on your elevator pitch can help you brainstorm various themes for your book, such as with the above example. Memoirs offer great examples for themes as well. 

If you don’t have time to sit down and read a full book, consider looking up the most popular book genres on Amazon and seeing what themes emerge. Amazon book categories are a great way to find what themes are selling, and why. Hint: look for phrases in the book’s description that call out the theme.

What is a theme of a story: 5 examples

But what are the themes of stories in the novels we know and love? Finding what is the theme of a story can help as you work a specific theme into your own manuscript. 

1. Survival

While Robinson Crusoe is perhaps one of the most familiar titles about survival, this theme shows itself in beloved YA, such as The Hunger Games. As you can see, while these titles differ in both writing style and genre, one theme can withstand a variety of plot lines, whether classic or contemporary.

Coming-of-age

To Kill A Mockingbird, The Book Thief, and Where The Crawdads Sing are each great examples of coming-of-age novels. While I dive into this a bit deeper in the next section, look for the subject matter of these books as well as the overall theme. 

Love and sacrifice 

As well as being a story centered around the theme of survival, The Hunger Games also highlights the theme of love and sacrifice. While you don’t need to restrict yourself to one theme, when you layer several themes into your story, be sure to do so with intention. All Quiet on the Western Front is another standout example of this theme. 

Good vs evil 

Harry Potter takes the cake with the theme of good vs evil, as well as the classic The Lord of the Rings. However, this theme shows up in modern literature such as Fairy Tale, by Stephen King. 

Redemption

Laura Hillenbrand’s, Unbroken, provides a raw look at the theme of redemption, along with the theme of forgiveness. A Christmas Carol is a classic example of this same redemptive theme. 

How to write the theme of a story?

Now that we’ve answered, what is the theme of a story, it’s time to briefly discuss the various approaches to writing a given theme into your manuscript. Answer the following questions to help you identify what is the theme of a story, and then write this theme accordingly.

What is the core idea I want to communicate to readers?

To answer this question, you may need to reach deep within and take an honest look at why you want to write in the first place. Maybe you just want to share the story of a character you love. Perhaps you want to communicate a truth you deeply believe in. Whatever it is for you, be sure to articulate it to yourself! 

What character arcs do I return to again and again?

I find taking a look at characters I love extremely helpful when pinpointing themes. Do you love the protagonists in famous romance stories? Perhaps you gravitate to the theme of love. If you have a proclivity to read thrillers, maybe the theme of overcoming or survival will be a key thread for your books. 

What time periods and plot lines intrigue me?

Time periods often speak to specific themes, as do plot lines. Characters in historical fiction often battle themes associated with that era, and plot lines point to themes as well. In The Four Winds, Kristin Hannah uses The Dust Bowl to showcase her protagonist’s strength and resilience. 

What genres do I gravitate to?

Dystopia tends to use themes of survival and sacrifice, romance uses themes of love and suffering, and readers tend to expect themes of isolation, death, or fear of the unknown with the genre of horror. What do you gravitate to, and what about these genres draws you to them?

What is my elevator pitch? 

Your elevator pitch usually showcases your theme even if you don’t intend it to. Consider the eleven-word pitch I found for The Martian: Astronaut, stranded on Mars, has to figure out how to survive.

The word “survive” literally appears in the pitch, as well as “stranded.” This speaks to the underlying theme of the novel: survival. To help you develop your elevator pitch, here is a blog with a great pitch formula. 

What is the meaning of main theme?

The theme of a story creates meaning for each manuscript, but this meaning can show up in various ways: overt, covert, comedic, or even tragic. 

Below are three examples of themes and their relationship to three more literary elements. You can use these examples to inspire the way in which you craft your own theme.

Theme vs subject

While often identified with nonfiction works, theme versus subject is helpful to consider when asking, What is the theme of a story? 

Think of the subject matter of a novel as the time or era in which it is written, the primary focus of the plot, or simply what the book is about. Now consider the theme of the book as the author’s opinion on the subject matter. A standout example of this is the classic, Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The subject is slavery and the theme states that slavery is wrong.  

Theme vs moral

What is the theme of a story? Theme is the overarching idea of a book, often written into the story rather than overtly stated. Moral, on the other hand, is a more obvious lesson the author wants to clearly present to the reader. 

Fables are great examples of theme versus moral. The Boy Who Cried Wolf teaches the importance of telling the truth or else risking not being believed when you finally do. 

Theme vs mood

If theme is the scaffolding of a house, mood is the way you choose to decorate. Consider the theme of the 2019 film, JoJo Rabbit, versus the mood in which it is told. This war/comedy film exemplifies how to take the most serious of themes and present it via an unexpected mood.

What is the main theme of the story?

In summation, the main theme of a story is the through line on which every aspect of the story is based. For one last example, in Andy Weir’s novel, The Martian, what is the theme of a story? 

The key theme is survival, but the protagonist, Mark Watney, also finds himself battling the themes of:

• Isolation (he is quite literally a world away)
• Determination (he must commit to finding a way to survive)
• Fear (he is alone on Mars)

Perhaps most obvious is the sub-theme of man versus nature as he seeks to survive on a planet, alone. Notice how these sub-themes reinforce the larger theme of survival. How can you do the same in your book?

What is the theme of a story: your next step

Finally, what is the theme of a story, as it pertains to your manuscript? There are many themes in storytelling. Settling on the best one for your story is a decision only you can make. However, to help you do so, use our Free Book Outline Generator. This resource helps you outline your manuscript so you can clearly see the themes that emerge!