Theme
The term theme is widely used when discussion romance stores and literature in general, but it can have more than one meaning.
- In general, theme is defined as the topic or subject of discourse, discussion, or writing. Theme is also a term used to describe a recurring setting (Nascar setting) or idea (office romance) in a story or, for example, a party with a luau theme. Some of these types of subjects found in romance stories can be found in the category Plot Devices.
- In literature, however, theme is not the same as the subject of the story. It is the implicit or underlying idea conveyed by a text. The subject of the Dr. Seuss book Green Eggs and Ham is "green eggs and ham are well worth eating, no matter the location". The theme might be "have an open mind".
Theme is also different from the motifs of a story. Motifs are a repeated symbol that represent the theme or subject. Simply having repeated symbolism related to chess, does not make the story's theme the similarity of life to chess. Themes arise from the interplay of the plot, the characters, and the attitude the author takes to them, and the same story can be given very different themes in the hands of different authors.
In most romance books, romance itself is the theme, with variations -- that love conquers all, or that a committed relationship is worth taking a risk (Bet Me). Some of these variations are recurring within the romance genre. For example, "opposites attract" is an underlying idea of many romance novels where the hero and heroine get together in spite of being opposites. Some of these romance variations have given rise to separate imprints or lines, such as the Inspirational sub-genre which presumably concentrates not only on the relationship between the hero and heroine, but also their spiritual life.
