Theme (narrative)
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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- | {| class="toccolours" style="float: left; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 2em; font-size: 85%; background:#c6dbf7; color:black; width:30em; max-width: 40%;" cellspacing="5" | + | [[Image:Edgar Allan Poe.jpg|thumb|left|200px| |
- | | style="text-align: left;" | | + | "The [[death]] ... of a [[beautiful woman]] is unquestionably the most poetical topic in the world" is a dictum by Edgar Allen Poe, from his essay "[[The Philosophy of Composition]]". |
- | "'''The death ... of a [[beautiful woman]] is unquestionably the most poetical topic in the world'''" is a dictum by Edgar Allen Poe, from his essay "[[The Philosophy of Composition]]". | + | <br> |
- | |} | + | Photo: A [[daguerreotype]] of [[Edgar Allan Poe]], author of ''[[Tales of Mystery & Imagination]]'']] |
+ | [[Image:El amor y la muerte(English Love and Death) is a plate 10 from Los Caprichos by Francisco Goya..jpg|thumb|200px|right|[[Love]] and [[death]] are two recurring themes in [[art history|art]] and [[History of literature|literary history]] | ||
+ | <br>Illustration: ''[[El amor y la muerte]]'' (English: Love and Death) is plate 10 from the ''[[Caprichos]]'' by [[Francisco Goya]].]] | ||
{{Template}} | {{Template}} | ||
In contemporary [[literary studies]], a '''theme''' is the central [[Topic–comment |topic]] a text treats. | In contemporary [[literary studies]], a '''theme''' is the central [[Topic–comment |topic]] a text treats. | ||
- | The most common contemporary understanding of theme is an [[idea]] or [[concept]] 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 theme 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. | + | The most common contemporary understanding of theme is an [[idea]] or [[concept]] 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 theme 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 ones humanity, which is a theme in [[Aldous Huxley|Aldous Huxley’s]] ''Brave New World''. Along with [[Plot (narrative)|plot]], [[Character (arts)|character]], [[Setting (fiction)|setting]], and [[Style (fiction)|style]], theme is considered one of the fundamental [[literary element|components]] of [[fiction]]. | + | 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 ones humanity, which is a theme in [[Aldous Huxley|Aldous Huxley’s]] ''[[Brave New World]]''. Along with [[Plot (narrative)|plot]], [[Character (arts)|character]], [[Setting (fiction)|setting]], and [[Style (fiction)|style]], theme is considered one of the fundamental [[literary element|components]] of [[fiction]]. |
==References== | ==References== |
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In contemporary literary studies, a theme is the central topic a text treats.
The most common contemporary understanding of theme is an idea or concept 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 theme 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 ones 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 fundamental components of fiction.
References
See also