The theme in a story is its underlying message, or 'big idea.'
In other words, what critical belief about life is the author trying to
convey in the writing of a novel, play, short story or poem? This
belief, or idea, transcends cultural barriers. It is usually universal
in nature. When a theme is universal, it touches on the human
experience, regardless of race or language. It is what the story means.
Often, a piece of writing will have more than one theme.
Think
about some T.V. sitcoms you have seen that you have found trite and
boring. Was there a significant problem in the T.V. show that needed to
be solved? Probably not. In much the same way, if a piece of writing
doesn't have deeper meaning than we can just see on the surface, it is
just as shallow as the T.V. sitcom. In order for writing to be
meaningful and lasting, it needs to have a theme
