Theme is a difficult term to
define. We all think we know what it means, but it is hard to express in a neat
phrase. First, a theme is not:
Merely a topic, such as love, peace, or evil.
A moral, such as love conquers all, a man is known by the company he keeps, or there is
strength in unity.
A
familiar cliché, such as “Look before you leap,” “you can’t judge a book by its cover,”
or faith can move mountains.”
A personal belief which we then try to make the details of the story fit.