B. Story: Theme and Meaning
Definitions
Theme—a distinct, recurring and unifying quality or idea
Meaning—a psychological or moral sense, purpose or significance
Paradox—a statement that may seem absurd but may be true; qualities that contradict; or something that conflicts with conventional opinion
Morality—standards of conduct that are accepted as right or proper
Hero—someone who acts with remarkable bravery, with great courage or with exceptional strength of character
In structuring a great story, theme and meaning need to be thoroughly explored in order to clarify the presentation and to focus the epiphany. Character recognition of something new and usually enlightening, and character reversal of thinking intrigue the reader. Theme and meaning augment these effects.
We have in stories the need to create the unique situations of unexpected, above-average happenings in believable and acceptable ways. We need heroes. And all fiction requires characters to have at least a touch of the heroic (showing courage or determination) to move the action of the story to its conclusion. Comatose people don’t make good characters. But all characters don’t have to be hyperactive supermen either. No need to recreate Ulysses, Gandhi, or Abraham Lincoln. But the best characters can, and most often do, have a part of the hero in them, and that heroic part engages the reader and drives the story forward.
Heroism thrives when characters are put in difficult situations, and meaning is also enhanced in the heroic setting, because the actions of characters become more significant and often require strong morality. By thinking of heroic action, the author adds a dimension to the writing that creates the story.
Morality dominates every fiction story, and the author’s morality may be the same or different than that of the narrator’s. The differences can provide the tension that results in stimulating prose. Character development, of course, is also related to the morality or the lack of morality in the characters’ lives.
Authors thinking about morality and how it affects their writing will both consciously and unconsciously insert meaning into their stories. Such meaning, as it is defined and becomes easier for the reader to grasp, is always beneficial to the writing as a work of art. If the author thinks about the story extensively, themes and meaning may begin to develop early. A unifying theme does not have to be identifiable by the reader; even a subliminal theme may have a powerful effect on a reader.
But caution is needed. Theme and meaning cannot be delivered with a heavy hand. Moving characters through a story plot in order to express the author’s opinion results in propaganda, and propaganda is not compatible with good fiction. In essence, literary readers do not want to feel the author’s purpose is to persuade, even if they agree with the persuasion; readers want to be entertained and to enjoy themselves.
