Have you ever noticed how books, movies, and songs have the same message? This is probably because they have the same theme. The theme is what defines the story, melody, or screenplay. It dictates the characters’ actions, motivations, and eventually the end result of the story. So what are some themes that appear most often in literature? Let’s start with five:

Good versus Evil

This is a theme as old as time, starting in the Bible with the struggle between God and His enemy, Satan, and now making an appearance in books and films like The Lord of the Rings and Star Wars. Very simply, it explores the conflict between good and evil, oftentimes showing the protagonists struggling to fight against the forces of evil so that they themselves are not taken by it.

Love

Love is a very complex and prevalent theme, explored in various forms and fashions. It shows up in classic stories like Pride and Prejudice and Romeo and Juliet. The type of love explored in this theme could be romantic, familial, love between friends, or unconditional love, depending on the type of book that the author planned on writing.

Coming of Age

If you’re a young person who is just maturing out of childhood, you’ll usually find yourself reading a lot of these novels. Books like To Kill a Mockingbird and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn fall into this category. The focus is on the character’s growth from childhood to maturity, overcoming challenges and learning important lessons about life.

Death and Loss

While this theme is a bit darker than the others, it is still very important. Why? Because it is a common theme in life. Stories like The Book Thief and Frankenstein explore the ideas of death, loss, and the meaning of life. Characters in these types of stories usually have the option to rise up and become better or sink deeper into grief.

Identity and Belonging

This is a very relevant theme, as most young adults and teenagers are experiencing this crisis. Wonder and Americanah are perfect examples of this theme. These books ask important questions about who we are in the world, and often the theme is explored by the characters searching for their place in society or struggling to fit in.

All of these themes are very important in shaping our ideas and feelings about the story, and in my opinion, this is because they are all so relevant in our world today. Everyone wants to experience love, everyone comes of age, and everyone is struggling to fit in (I know I’ve certainly struggled with that). Just like the characters in these books and films, it matters very much how we respond to each of these things: we can respond reactively, sinking deeper into feelings of grief and wallowing in self-pity, or we can respond proactively, learning from our mistakes and growing into better people.

If you’ve ever noticed these themes, or have any book or film recommendations that contain the themes we’ve discussed here, feel free to leave them in the comment section below!