10 common themes in literature

By ThoughtCo., adapted by Newsela staff on 08.12.19

Word Count 679
Level 820L

Image by: Hugo Lin/ThoughtCo.

The theme of a book is the message found through the entire story. Every book has at least one
theme and many books have several themes.

A theme can be a message about life that you can use in your own life. You can look for a theme
when characters change through their experiences in the book.

How Can You Find A Theme in Books?

Finding the theme of a book can be difficult because themes are not stated by the writer. For
example, in "The Three Little Pigs," the writer does not say that it is best not to cut corners by
building a straw house. You find this message in the story on your own as a reader.

Choosing a word about the story is a first step in learning the theme of a book. Next, think about
how that word might be connected to a message about life. Maybe you chose "friendship." Ask
yourself questions about what the character learns about friendship. Perhaps the character learns
that you need to listen to others to be a good friend.

10 Of The Most Common Book Themes

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There are themes that are found in many books. Below are some of the most popular subjects in
stories. Learning these will help you discover themes in the stories you read.

Judgment

Many books are about judgment. Characters may be judged in these stories because they are
different. A character may be judged for behaving in a way that other characters find unacceptable.
Sometimes, characters judge others too quickly. They learn a lesson about making judgments
about others before they know all the facts. "To Kill a Mockingbird" is a good example of a book
that explores how quick we are to judge others.

Survival

In a story about survival, characters must solve problems to help them stay alive. Sometimes they
have to learn how to survive in the wild. Almost any novel by Jack London explores human
survival.

Peace And War

War is a popular topic for writers. In these books, the characters are living in hard times. They
may miss a more peaceful time in their past. Some books like "Gone with the Wind" explore what
life was like before, during and after a war.

Love

The power of love is a common subject in stories. "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen is a good
example of a book that has love as its theme. When reading a book about love, you can ask yourself
how does love help the characters solve problems.

Heroism

Many books include characters who become heroes through the choices they make. The books
focus on their journey towards heroism. Often, they change and learn to be better people. Homer's
"The Odyssey" explores the hero's journey in depth.

Good And Evil

Characters can act in good and evil ways. The conflict between good and evil is another popular
subject in books. The "Harry Potter" and "Lord of the Rings" series focus on good and evil in
characters.

Circle Of Life

Life begins with birth and ends with death. This subject is popular with writers. They might write a
story about how the death of one person affects other characters. "The Death of Ivan Ilych"
famously explores this theme.

Suffering

Often characters struggle from physical injuries. Sometimes their suffering is within themselves.
They may feel guilty after committing a crime, as the character does in the novel "Crime and
Punishment." They must learn how to overcome their suffering.

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Deception

When characters deceive others, they keep secrets from them. Characters can mislead others to
believe things are different than they are in reality. For example, we see characters tell many lies in
a book like "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn."

Coming Of Age

Growing up is not easy, which is why so many books focus on "coming of age." In these books,
children or young adults learn important life lessons as they become adults. "The Outsiders" and
"The Catcher in the Rye" explore this theme.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.