Themes in Literature: Definition, Common Themes, and Examples

Characters, plots, and settings all contribute to meaning, but the theme is what connects a story to larger questions and ideas. For writers, recognising and shaping themes in literature ensures that a manuscript is not only entertaining but also resonant.

What Are Themes in Literature?

A theme in literature is the central idea or underlying message that a story communicates. While the plot tells us what happens, the theme explores why those events matter. It gives shape to meaning by linking character decisions, conflicts, and resolutions to universal human concerns.

Themes may be stated directly, but more often they emerge subtly through character actions, symbolism, or recurring patterns. For example, two characters might quarrel over loyalty, but the deeper theme may be the conflict between personal duty and moral choice.

Writers who understand what a story arc is often find that themes are woven through each stage of the narrative. From the introduction of a conflict to the climax and resolution, the theme becomes the connective tissue that binds structure and meaning.

Why Themes Matter in Storytelling

Themes transform stories from sequences of events into works that linger in memory. They allow readers to see themselves reflected in the struggles of characters and to connect fictional events to real-world experiences.

A clear theme also helps writers make decisions during drafting. Knowing the theme of a story guides which scene in literature to include, what conflicts to emphasise, and how to resolve tension in a way that feels meaningful.

Common Themes in Literature

While every story is unique, many themes recur across cultures and time periods. Some of the most common themes in literature include:

• Love: Romantic love, familial love, or the absence of love.
• Power: The pursuit of power, its corrupting influence, or resistance against it.
• Identity: Questions of self-discovery, personal transformation, or belonging.
• Justice: Struggles between fairness, law, and moral choice.
• Mortality: The confrontation with death, loss, or the search for meaning in a finite life.
• Freedom: The fight for independence, autonomy, or release from oppression.
• Prejudice: Discrimination, bias, and the social divisions they create.
• Hope: The persistence of optimism despite adversity.

These common themes in literature are broad, but each becomes distinctive when filtered through specific characters and settings.

Examples of Themes in Literature

To see how themes function in practice, consider these examples of themes in literature:

Each story tells a different tale, but all reflect larger human concerns through their themes.

How Writers Develop Themes

Writers rarely begin with a theme in abstract form. More often, themes emerge during the writing process. A story about a detective might initially be about solving a case, but through revision, it may become a meditation on truth, corruption, or personal redemption.

Strategies for developing themes include:

1. Identify core questions: What question lies beneath the story? For example, “What does it mean to be free?”
2. Shape character goals: Align the protagonist’s desires and conflicts with thematic concerns.
3. Use recurring motifs: Symbols, images, or phrases reinforce themes without stating them outright.
4. Design conflict carefully: Consider how opposition reveals deeper values, not only immediate outcomes.
5. Test during revision: Ask whether each chapter contributes to the central theme or distracts from it.

How Themes Relate to Story Structure

Themes are not separate from structure. They guide the choices that define rising tension and resolution. When you learn more about rising action, for example, you can see how obstacles in the middle of a story often highlight the theme most strongly. A protagonist struggling against injustice in the rising action forces the theme of justice to the surface, preparing readers for a climax that resolves that struggle.

Thematic clarity also improves pacing. Writers who track how themes appear across the introduction, conflict, climax, and resolution can ensure the story arc remains coherent and impactful.

Can a Story Have Multiple Themes?

Yes. Many narratives explore more than one theme. A novel may examine love and identity simultaneously, or justice and power together. The challenge is balance. Too many themes risk diluting focus, but carefully interwoven themes enrich complexity.

Writers often choose one primary theme, supported by secondary themes. For instance, in To Kill a Mockingbird, the primary theme of racial injustice is supported by secondary themes of childhood innocence and moral education.

Are Themes Universal or Personal?

Themes can be both. Some themes, such as mortality or love, recur universally. Others emerge from specific contexts, cultures, or personal experiences. A writer drawing on personal history may shape a unique theme that resonates because of its authenticity.

This dual quality explains why readers can find both recognition and discovery in literature. Themes show us what we share and what is distinct.

How to Use Scrivener to Organise Themes

Developing and tracking themes across a manuscript can be complex. Scrivener provides tools to keep themes visible while drafting and revising. Writers can use the corkboard and Outliner to create custom keywordsor labels to tag relevant scenes and documents, then use collections to filter and view these themes across the project.

These features help ensure that themes remain consistent from the first draft to the final manuscript. For writers balancing multiple storylines or perspectives, Scrivener makes it easier to see how themes connect across the whole project.

Plan and Refine Your Themes with Scrivener

Themes in literature give stories depth and resonance. They connect individual characters and plots to larger questions about human life. Writers who understand what themes are in literature and how to weave them through structure, conflict, and resolution can create work that remains with readers long after the final page.

Whether you are exploring common themes in literature, such as love and justice, or personal themes rooted in experience, the ability to organise and refine them is essential. Scrivener gives you the tools to capture, track, and develop themes with clarity and ensure your themes evolve alongside your story.

Start shaping your story’s themes in Scrivener today and write with purpose.