August 4, 2010

MrDaley.com
MrD

THEME

What is a THEME? • Dangers of ignorance

• Darkness and light
A THEME is the central idea (or lesson) that a story • Death – inevitable or tragedy
tries to convey to the reader. • Desire to escape
• Destruction of beauty
Many writers condider the THEME before they begin • Disillusionment and dreams
the writing process. • Displacement
• Empowerment
They ask themselves, “What lesson do I want the • Emptiness of attaining false dream
reader to know when they are finished reading my • Everlasting love
work?” • Evils of racism
• Facing darkness
HERE is a THEME exercise! – Click Here! • Facing reality
• Fading beauty
WHAT IS A UNIVERSAL THEME? • Faith versus doubt
• Family – blessing or curse
A Universal Theme is a theme common in many • Fate and free will
books and is understood by a wide audience. • Fear of failure
• Female roles
Here is a list of Universal Themes found in • Fulfillment
books: • Good versus bad
• Greed as downfall
• Adolescence – discovery, pain, loneliness • Growing up – pain or pleasure
• Alienation – destruction of soul • Hazards of passing judgment
• Ambition – persistence or corruption • Heartbreak of betrayal
• Appearances – deception and reality • Heroism – real and perceived
• Beauty of diversity • Hierarchy in nature
http://www.mrdaley.com/wordpress/narration/theme/

• Beauty of simplicity • Identity crisis

• Capitalism – effect on the individual • Illusion of power
• Change of power – necessity • Immortality
• Change versus tradition • Individual versus society
• Chaos and order • Inner versus outer strength
• Character – destruction, building up • Injustice
• Circle of life • Isolation
• Coming of age • Isolationism – hazards
• Communication – verbal and nonverbal • Knowledge versus ignorance
• Companionship as salvation • Loneliness as destructive force
• Convention and rebellion • Losing hope

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 August 4, 2010
MrDaley.com

THEME

• Loss of innocence • Will to survive

• Lost honor • Wisdom of experience
• Lost love • Working class struggles
• Love and sacrifice • Youth and beauty
• Man against nature
• Manipulation
• Materialism as downfall
• Motherhood
• Names – power and significance
• Nationalism – complications
• Nature as beauty
• Necessity of work
• Oppression of women
• Optimism – power or folly
• Overcoming – fear, weakness, vice
• Patriotism – positive side or complications
• Power and corruption
• Power of silence
• Power of tradition
• Power of wealth
• Power of words
• Pride and downfall
• Progress – real or illusion
• Quest for discovery
• Quest for power
• Rebirth
• Reunion
• Role of men
• Role of Religion – virtue or hypocrisy
• Role of women
• Self – inner and outer
• Self-awareness
http://www.mrdaley.com/wordpress/narration/theme/

• Self-preservation
• Self-reliance
• Social mobility
• Technology in society – good or bad
• Temporary nature of physical beauty
• Temptation and destruction
• Totalitarianism
• Vanity as downfall
• Vulnerability of the meek
• Vulnerability of the strong
• War – glory, necessity, pain, tragedy

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