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Theme (narrative)
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<h2 id="examples">Examples</h2> <p>Some common themes in literature are love, war, revenge, betrayal,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a> grace, isolation, parenthood, forgiveness, loss,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a> <a href="/facts/Treachery_(law)/gm2paIuR">treachery</a>, rich versus poor, appearance versus reality, and help from otherworldly powers.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="techniques">Techniques</h2> <p>Various <a href="/facts/Literary_technique/AIXweqEU">techniques</a> may be used to express literary themes. </p> <h3>Leitwortstil</h3> <p><i>Leitwortstil,</i> which means "leading word style" in German,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a> is the repetition of a wording, often with a theme, in a narrative to make sure it catches the reader's attention.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12"><sup>12</sup></a> An example of a leitwortstil is the recurring phrase, "So it goes", in <a href="/facts/Kurt_Vonnegut/sPmWap62">Kurt Vonnegut</a>'s novel <i><a href="/facts/Slaughterhouse-Five/mR0Gjnqa">Slaughterhouse-Five</a></i>. Its seeming message is that the world is <a href="/facts/Deterministic/NhvNlAbe">deterministic</a>: that things only could have happened in one way, and that the future already is predetermined. But given the anti-war tone of the story, the message perhaps is on the contrary, that <i>things could have been different</i>. Its use in Scheherazade's <i><a href="/facts/One_Thousand_and_One_Nights/BPM1XkaC">Arabian Nights</a></i> demonstrates how the technique can result to the unification of the constituent members of story cycles.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13"><sup>13</sup></a> In the <a href="/facts/Bible/SqkRTKCh">Bible</a>, various forms of the verb "to see" also recur and underscore the idea of <a href="/facts/Abraham/groXmSSm">Abraham</a> as a seer.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14"><sup>14</sup></a> There is also the repeated use of the root <i>kbd</i> in <a href="/facts/Samuel/v52y3PpL">Samuel I</a>, to indicate "weightiness, honor, glory".<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:15" href="#fn:15"><sup>15</sup></a> </p><p>In New Testament studies, a leitwortstil is called a verbal thread. David Rhoads, Joanna Dewey, and Donald Michie identify several verbal threads in their seminal narrative-critical study of the Gospel of Mark.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:16" href="#fn:16"><sup>16</sup></a> For example, Mark ties together two disparate narratives with a verbal thread that forces the reader to search for connections between the narratives. The word for ripping or tearing (Greek: σχίζω, <i>schizō</i>) is found at the baptism of Jesus in Mark 1:10 and at the rending of the temple veil in Mark 15:38.[<i>original research?</i>] </p> <h3>Thematic patterning</h3> <p><i>Thematic patterning</i> means the insertion of a recurring motif in a narrative.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:17" href="#fn:17"><sup>17</sup></a> For example, various scenes in <a href="/facts/John_Steinbeck/A1URmFIc">John Steinbeck</a>'s <i><a href="/facts/Of_Mice_and_Men/nBSy0d0g">Of Mice and Men</a></i> are about loneliness.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:18" href="#fn:18"><sup>18</sup></a> Thematic patterning is evident in <i>One Thousand and One Nights</i>,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:19" href="#fn:19"><sup>19</sup></a> an example being the story of "The City of Brass". According to David Pinault, the overarching theme of that tale, in which a group of travelers roam the desert in search of ancient brass artifacts, is that "riches and pomp tempt one away from God".<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:20" href="#fn:20"><sup>20</sup></a> The narrative is interrupted several times by stories within the story. These include a tale recorded in an inscription found in the palace of Kush ibh Shaddad; a story told by a prisoner about Solomon; and an episode involving Queen Tadmur's corpse. According to Pinault, "each of these minor narratives introduces a character who confesses that he once proudly enjoyed worldly prosperity: subsequently, we learn, the given character has been brought low by God ... These minor tales ultimately reinforce the theme of the major narrative".<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:21" href="#fn:21"><sup>21</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2> Look up <i>theme</i> in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. <ul><li><a href="/facts/Literary_element/U6kJHdrJ">Literary element</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Moral/duslC1ta">Moral</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Motif_(narrative)/R9fMpKdC">Motif (narrative)</a></li></ul> <h2 id="notes">Notes</h2> <ul><li>Baldick, Chris (2004), <i>The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms</i>, Oxford: <a href="/facts/Oxford_University_Press/CYyTzzWG">Oxford University Press</a>, <a href="/facts/ISBN_(identifier)/15AdSPa9">ISBN</a> 978-0-19-860883-7</li> <li>Brown, Mary Ellen; Rosenberg, Bruce A., eds. (1998), <a href="https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781576070031"><i>Encyclopedia of Folklore and Literature</i></a>, Santa Barbara: <a href="/facts/ABC-CLIO/7B9JFAeq">ABC-CLIO</a>, <a href="/facts/ISBN_(identifier)/15AdSPa9">ISBN</a> 1-57607-003-4</li> <li>Carey, Gary; Snodgrass, Mary Ellen (1999), <a href="https://archive.org/details/multiculturaldic00care"><i>A Multicultural Dictionary of Literary Terms</i></a>, Jefferson: <a href="/facts/McFarland_%2526_Company/UGcW6D1h">McFarland & Company</a>, <a href="/facts/ISBN_(identifier)/15AdSPa9">ISBN</a> 0-7864-0552-X</li> <li>Obstfeld, Raymond (2002), <a href="https://archive.org/details/fictionfirstaidi0000obst"><i>Fiction First Aid: Instant Remedies for Novels, Stories and Scripts</i></a>, Cincinnati, OH: Writer's Digest Books, <a href="/facts/ISBN_(identifier)/15AdSPa9">ISBN</a> 1-58297-117-X</li></ul> <h2 id="further-reading">Further reading</h2> <ul><li>Kerr, John (2022-07-06). "The 3 Essential Elements of Plot Every Writer Should Know". <i><a href="https://writershivemedia.com/creative-writing/essential-elements-of-plot/">Writer's Hive Media</a></i>. Retrieved 2022-07-06.</li> <li>Kittelstad, Kit. "Examples of Theme in Literature". <i><a href="https://examples.yourdictionary.com/reference/examples/examples-of-theme-in-literature.html">Yourdictionary.com</a></i>. Retrieved 2022-07-06.</li></ul> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> <ul><li><a href="https://www.themeontology.org/">"The Literary Theme Ontology"</a>. Retrieved 2023-04-05.</li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>Oxford English Dictionary, retrieved January 26, 2012 <a href="http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/200321?rskey=8toWeL&result=1&isAdvanced=false#eid" target="_blank">http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/200321?rskey=8toWeL&result=1&isAdvanced=false#eid</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>Griffith, Kelley (2010), Writing Essays about Literature (8 ed.), Cengage Learning, p. 40, ISBN 978-1428290419, retrieved February 10, 2013 <a href="978-1428290419" target="_blank">978-1428290419</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>Carey & Snodgrass (1999) - Carey, Gary; Snodgrass, Mary Ellen (1999), A Multicultural Dictionary of Literary Terms, Jefferson: McFarland & Company, ISBN 0-7864-0552-X <a href="https://archive.org/details/multiculturaldic00care" target="_blank">https://archive.org/details/multiculturaldic00care</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>Kirszner, Laura G.; Mandell, Stephen R. (1994), Fiction: Reading, Reacting, Writing, Paulinas, pp. 3–4, ISBN 015501014X, retrieved February 11, 2013 <a href="015501014X" target="_blank">015501014X</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>Weitz, Morris (2002), "Literature Without Philosophy: "Antony and Cleopatra"", Shakespeare Survey, vol. 28, Cambridge University Press, p. 30, ISBN 0521523656, retrieved February 10, 2013 <a href="0521523656" target="_blank">0521523656</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>Kerr, John (2022-07-06). "The 3 Essential Elements of Plot Every Writer Should Know". Writer's Hive Media. Retrieved 2022-07-06. <a href="https://writershivemedia.com/creative-writing/essential-elements-of-plot/" target="_blank">https://writershivemedia.com/creative-writing/essential-elements-of-plot/</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>Obstfeld (2002, pp. 1, 65, 115, 171) - Obstfeld, Raymond (2002), Fiction First Aid: Instant Remedies for Novels, Stories and Scripts, Cincinnati, OH: Writer's Digest Books, ISBN 1-58297-117-X <a href="https://archive.org/details/fictionfirstaidi0000obst" target="_blank">https://archive.org/details/fictionfirstaidi0000obst</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>Baldick (2004) - Baldick, Chris (2004), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms, Oxford: Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0-19-860883-7 <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>Carey & Snodgrass (1999) - Carey, Gary; Snodgrass, Mary Ellen (1999), A Multicultural Dictionary of Literary Terms, Jefferson: McFarland & Company, ISBN 0-7864-0552-X <a href="https://archive.org/details/multiculturaldic00care" target="_blank">https://archive.org/details/multiculturaldic00care</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>Brown & Rosenberg (1998) - Brown, Mary Ellen; Rosenberg, Bruce A., eds. (1998), Encyclopedia of Folklore and Literature, Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, ISBN 1-57607-003-4 <a href="https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781576070031" target="_blank">https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781576070031</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>Sweney, Chip; Murray, Kitti (2011). A New Kind of Big: How Churches of Any Size Can Partner to Transform Communities. Grand Rapids: Baker Books. p. 82. ISBN 9780801013690. <a href="9780801013690" target="_blank">9780801013690</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:12"><p>Pinault, David (1992), Story Telling Techniques in the "Arabian Nights", Studies in Arabic Literature, vol. 15, Brill, p. 18, ISBN 9004095306, retrieved February 10, 2013 <a href="9004095306" target="_blank">9004095306</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:13"><p>Sweney, Chip; Murray, Kitti (2011). A New Kind of Big: How Churches of Any Size Can Partner to Transform Communities. Grand Rapids: Baker Books. p. 82. ISBN 9780801013690. <a href="9780801013690" target="_blank">9780801013690</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:14"><p>Levenson, Alan T. (2011). The Making of the Modern Jewish Bible: How Scholars in Germany, Israel, and America Transformed an Ancient Text. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. p. 85. ISBN 9781442205161. <a href="9781442205161" target="_blank">9781442205161</a> <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:15"><p>Ryken, Leland; III, Tremper Longman (2010). The Complete Literary Guide to the Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Academic. p. 171. ISBN 978-0310230786. <a href="978-0310230786" target="_blank">978-0310230786</a> <a href="#fnref:15" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:16"><p>David Rhoads, Joanna Dewey, and Donald Michie, Mark as Story: An Introduction to the Narrative of a Gospel, 3rd ed. (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2012), 48. <a href="#fnref:16" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:17"><p>Pinault, David. 1992. Story-telling techniques in the Arabian nights. Leiden: Brill. p. 22. ISBN 9004095306 <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:17" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:18"><p>Scalia, Joseph E.; Shamblin, Lena T. & Research and Education Association (2001), John Steinbeck's Of mice and men, Piscataway, N.J: Research & Education Association, p. 13, ISBN 087891997X, retrieved February 11, 2013 <a href="087891997X" target="_blank">087891997X</a> <a href="#fnref:18" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:19"><p>Heath, Peter (May 1994), "Reviewed work(s) Story-Telling Techniques in the Arabian Nights by David Pinault", International Journal of Middle East Studies, 26 (2), Cambridge University Press: 358–360 [359–60], doi:10.1017/s0020743800060633, S2CID 162223060 <a href="/wiki/International_Journal_of_Middle_East_Studies" target="_blank">/wiki/International_Journal_of_Middle_East_Studies</a> <a href="#fnref:19" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:20"><p>Pinault, David. 1992. Story-telling techniques in the Arabian nights. Leiden: Brill. p. 23. ISBN 9004095306 <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:20" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:21"><p>Pinault, David. 1992. Story-telling techniques in the Arabian nights. Leiden: Brill. p. 23. ISBN 9004095306 <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:21" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>