What is a plot theme?
Whether we’re talking about Blade Runner, Casablanca or Wolf of Wall Street, every plot has a theme. Every great work of fiction has a plot theme, the ones that do not are easily forgotten. A plot theme is not what the story is about or even the plot itself, as you may already believe. Here’s an example, see if you can spot a difference between a plot and a plot theme:
- The king died and then the Queen died.
- The King was murdered by his brother and then the Queen died of grief.
Spot the difference? The first one is a plot, a general outline of the events. The plot essentially is what happens in a story, kind of like a vague blueprint. The second one is a plot theme. Plot themes are very humanistic in nature. Every masterpiece wether it be a novel, art or a motion picture deals with a theme. Theme driven plots are what resonate with audiences because themes strike at the heart of human emotions and experiences or better known to be “The Human Condition”. In the example above the theme of the plot deals with betrayal and grief, something many can relate to regardless of the time and setting of the story.
A plot theme is what makes a film timeless. Consider Modern Times (1936) which is still relevant today. In Modern Times, Charlie Chaplin’s character struggles to adapt to the onset of the industrial age and mechanisation and suppression of the human spirit. A lot of us can relate to this theme due to Capitalism and the digital revolution. Why? Even though we may not be working in a steel factory today, most of us still work long hours in a 21st century factory called an office. See the comparison between Modern Times (1936) and Office Space (1999), has the theme really changed regardless of the time and setting of the story?
These are just some themes that are quite common in films: greed, fear, courage, loyalty, spirituality, love, power, helplessness and many many more!
So what are plot themes? In essence, they are raw human emotions that drive character and story or to put it in a more sophisticated term; A reflection and state of the human condition and experience.
How to use plot theme in your fictional work?
Now that we know what a plot theme is, lets get a better understanding of how to go about using a plot theme in your creative work. A story can have multiple themes resonating throughout the plot and character. You can even use opposite themes to create tension and conflict such The Dark Knight where the Joker is personified as an “Unstoppable Object” and Batman as an “Incorruptible Force.” The basis for The Dark Knight is essentially how the Joker put it, “An unstoppable force meets an immovable object.”
Find your theme
Contrary to popular belief, the themes of a story are not overly complicated. Theme is simply what drives story and characters. Theme is not who your story is about or where and when it’s based, this stuff should only serve as a backdrop to your fictional world.
- Is it a love story? (Her (2013)
- Is it a story about mental illness? (A Beautiful Mind. 2001)
- Is it a story about revenge? (I Saw the Devil, 2010)
- Is it a story about human relationship with Technology? (Terminator 2: Judgment Day, 1991)
- Is it a story about a crime? (12 Angry Men, 1957)
If you’re not sure about what you’re plot theme is about, ask yourself what motivates your protagonist/antagonist in your story. Is your character motivated by greed and power or a sense of justice? Is your protagonist in search of truth or seeks revenge? Is your character driven by love, anger or hate?
If you’re unsure of what the character motivations are, try using genre as a tool. Most genres have a underlying theme which can give you a hints to what kind of underlying themes will be present in your story. For instance, if you’re writing a science fiction story then your your story will deal with man’s relationship with technology. Try to examine your favourite stories and characters and understand what drives and motivates them. This will to some extend give you an idea of what the plot theme in your story will be.
Define an aspect of your theme
Okay, let’s say that you want your story to be about greed. Well that’s a very broad topic that can cover a lot of grounds. You can create a story with a lot of different aspects of greed: greed for money, greed for power, greed for possessions, submission of greed, greed and corruption, the list can go on and on.
The more complex your story, the more underlying themes you may have. Themes speak on a universal levels as mentioned before, good writers know this and use this knowledge to their advantage. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel, you can put new clothes on a classic theme. This is what Christopher Nolan did with The Dark Knight (2008). Christopher Nolan quite literally took a cop crime drama Heat (1995) and put the theme in a superhero costume. Nolan even had his DP imitated the visual aesthetics of Heat, so you don’t even have to be that original!
Same but different is what creative works are all about in this day and age. Most distributors want some thing similar to [insert name of a successful franchise], but at the same time something that is different because [insert name] already established that there is a market for this kind of creative work.
Create a theme statement!
This is perhaps the most important aspect of creating a masterpiece. The theme statement is something that can serve as a core driver of your story or the protagonist in your world. It will be the vision that you strive to actualise within your writing. A theme statement must include the main action of the story, the emotional impact (theme). The theme statement will serve as a guide and structure of your work.
Here is a theme statement for Zodiac (2007):
“A San Francisco cartoonist becomes an amateur detective obsessed with tracking down the Zodiac killer.”
Theme statements are short and efficient. Over the course you’ll start to deviate from your core theme, you can review your theme statement which will re-align you with the essence of your story. With a theme statement you will build the foundation for your story which you can use to build upon with characters, plot (actions), subplots, settings etc. which will help you build a multi-layered universe.
We hope that this article helps you in your writing. If you’ve found this article relevant and interesting considering sharing with someone who might also benefit.