“Be yourself.” A common piece of advice, but is it truly insightful? While seemingly helpful, its simplicity often falls short when navigating life’s complexities. The most compelling stories and novels delve beyond simplistic advice, exploring profound, intricate questions about identity and existence. Instead of offering morals, they develop themes.
A theme in literature is a central, unifying idea that surfaces as characters pursue their goals. It goes beyond the surface-level plot, such as winning a race or finding treasure, and delves into the deeper conflicts concerning identity, philosophy, or morality that arise during the characters’ journeys.
A moral, on the other hand, is a direct message, a prescription for how to live. While morals can be helpful for children needing guidance, they often feel inadequate and even insulting as we gain more experience. Simplistic advice like “be yourself” rings hollow when our “self” is still evolving, ambiguous, and filled with contradictions.
The esteemed writer and writing teacher John Gardner stated, “By ‘theme’ we do not mean ‘message–a word no good writer likes applied to his work.'” Similarly, Anton Chekhov remarked, “You are confusing two concepts, the solution of the problem and the correct formulation of the problem. Only the second is required of the artist.” In essence, a writer’s role isn’t to provide answers to life’s difficult questions but to illuminate those questions clearly through their stories.
Consider Alice Munro’s short story “Boys and Girls.” The protagonist, a young girl on a farm, initially enjoys traditionally masculine activities alongside her father. However, she’s gradually steered towards traditionally feminine tasks with her mother, which she resists. Near the climax, when her father attempts to capture a mare for slaughter, he instructs her to close a gate. Instead, she opens it, rebelling against both trapping the horse and being confined by gender expectations. Yet, this act also aligns her with the female side, leading her father to dismiss her as “just a girl.”
So, what’s the theme of “Boys and Girls”? A valid answer is “gender roles,” the overarching issue that emerges from the narrative. It’s the core subject of the story. Expanding upon this, the theme can be framed as a more complex question: How do gender roles shape our identities? How valid are these definitions? Are gender roles cultural constructs or innate? What are the repercussions of enforcing and adhering to them? These are more nuanced and intricate interpretations of the story’s theme.
However, the story refrains from advocating any particular action. It doesn’t argue for defying or accepting gender roles, nor does it offer guidance on navigating or escaping them. It presents no moral.
Why? Because these questions lack simple answers, both in life and within the story. Therefore, framing themes as questions is appropriate. The best stories acknowledge the difficulty of these questions by showcasing them in their entirety, with all their complexity and mystery, instead of offering simplistic solutions. This truthfulness, even in fiction, underscores the importance of understanding a story’s theme rather than futilely searching for a moral.
In conclusion, understanding “What Is Theme In Literature” allows us to engage with the text on a deeper level, appreciating the exploration of complex issues rather than seeking simple answers. It encourages critical thinking and a greater understanding of the human condition as reflected in storytelling.
