Lesson 10 — Activity 1: What Do We Mean By Theme?

As you know, there are many ways to categorize writing. This activity looks at yet another way of comparing types of literature by defining the terms escape fiction and interpretive fiction.

Escape fiction refers to literature that has the main purpose of entertaining the reader. No serious or thoughtful message is behind the story. Romance, action, and adventure stories are mainly escape fiction. We may find that we enjoy reading escape literature while we are reading it, but we may not give it much thought when we are finished reading.

Examples of Escape Fiction include:

Twilight
Harry Potter
Lord of the Rings
The Hunger Games

Interpretive fiction refers to literature that, although it is still entertaining or interesting, is written to share a message or idea the author has about human nature (the way people are) or the society we live in. This message or idea is sometimes called the theme of the work. Interpretive fiction may give us ideas to think about (or interpret) long after we have finished reading.

Examples of Interpretive Fiction include:

Death of a Salesman
The Giver
Shakespeare's Hamlet

When we read stories or poems and view movies or TV shows, we may find our understanding of the piece increases when we consider the theme of the work (the main idea or underlying meaning of a literary work). The theme is the message that the author wants you to walk away from the story with. In other words, when we think about the purpose of the work or the point the author is trying to make, we can come up with some interesting ideas about life.

Theme is the main idea or underlying meaning of a literary work.

The experiences of the characters in a story or film help us think about the theme of the story or film. For example, a dynamic character (a character who changes in some way due to the events of the story) can give us clues to a story's theme if we think about why the character changed the way he or she thought or acted over the course of the story.

Sometimes when you think about theme, you may get it confused with the plot or the moral of the story. As you know, plot refers to what happens in the story. The moral of the story refers to a lesson we can learn from the story. You can use the events of the plot and the lessons that come from the story to help you think of what the theme of a story might be. Remember, the theme is a general statement about situations in life that does not say what is right or wrong (like a moral) and is not specific to a particular story (like the plot).

As you find themes in interpretive literature, you may find that different people find different themes in the same work. It all depends on how each person interprets or understands the story.

Common Themes in Books

Acceptance	Characters who respect and accept each others' differences and beliefs.
Courage	Characters are brave and have the strength to overcome a fear or accept a risk.
Perseverance	Characters who never give up even when facing difficult times.
Cooperation	Characters who work together to solve a problem or achieve a goal.
Compassion	Characters who want to make those who are suffering feel better.
Honesty	Characters who find that it is best to always tell the truth.
Kindness	Characters who are generous and considerate of others.
Loyalty	Characters who trust each other and never turn their backs on their friends.

Click on the Play button below to watch a video about how to identify the theme in literature.