Ever had a story that sticks with you long after you’ve experienced it? Chances are, it had a strong message that resonated with you on a deeper level. But what about the theme? Are theme and message the same?
At times, storytellers grapple with the terms ‘message’ and ‘theme’, often using them interchangeably. However, these are distinct elements crucial for crafting compelling narratives. This article will clarify the difference between message and theme, helping you understand their roles in your storytelling.
- What Is the Message of a Story?
- What Are the Themes of a Story?
- Message Vs Theme: Why They’re Not the Same Thing in a Story.
- Examples of Messages and Themes in Stories.
- An Example Of Message Vs Theme – The Hobbit By JRR Tolkien.
- Stories Need a Message to Resonate.
- Get Sketches & Storytelling Delivered to Your Inbox.
What Is the Message of a Story?
A dictionary definition of the word message is – a significant political, social, or moral point that is being conveyed by a film, speech, etc.
At its core, a story’s message is the purpose or underlying idea or information that’s being delivered to the audience. It’s the Story Keystone. You can think of it as what you, the storyteller, want the audience to understand or feel after experiencing the narrative.
We know that storytelling itself is a method for communicating a message, idea or information in an engaging, memorable and relatable manner; which shows us the importance of having a message to communicate.
With that in mind, this essential element of storytelling is much deeper than a theme. A message is well thought out and intentional, the idea that underpins the entire story and holds it all together.
Can a Story Have More than One Message?
When you consider the definition of message in storytelling, it’s evident that whilst the interpretation of a message can vary slightly among audiences, a story should have a single, overarching message. This ensures a focused and impactful narrative that’s more likely to resonate with its target audience.
What Are the Themes of a Story?
A dictionary definition of the word theme is – an idea that recurs in or pervades a work of art or literature.
The themes of a story describe the topics and subjects a story fits into, often condensed into singular words or short sentences.
Some examples of story themes are:
- Love
- Grief
- Good vs evil
- Power and corruption
- Coming of age
Themes are broader, more abstract, surface-level elements that can be intentional or arise organically in response to the plot when a story is being created.
Can a Story Have More than One Theme?
Yes. In contrast to message, stories often explore multiple themes. If you think of message as a key ingredient for the structure of a dish, you could think of themes as a herb, spice, or seasoning that enhances the flavour profile.
Message Vs Theme: Why They’re Not the Same Thing in a Story.
- Message: The purpose and the underlying idea or information that you’re delivering to your audience through your story.
- Theme: The broad, surface-level topics and subjects your story fits into.
Now that you’re equipped with the definitions of message and theme in storytelling, it’s much easier to see their differences as well as how they can work together. After all, they’re intrinsically linked, which is why they’re often confused.
The message of a story usually harmonises with a specific theme, before being expanded and crafted into a message that imparts information.
Examples of Messages and Themes in Stories.
Understanding definitions is one thing, but let’s see it in action and look at some examples:
- Love: Learning to love usually starts with learning to trust.
- Grief: The strength isn’t in letting go as much as it is in learning to carry it comfortably.
- Good vs evil: Good can only prevail over evil when it doesn’t use evil acts to do so.
- Power and corruption: All power can corrupt, and can even corrupt the noblest of hearts.
- Coming of age: Part of becoming the best version of yourself is accepting the events of your past.
Those are just some quick-fire examples but they amplify the point and highlight how a story’s message adds flesh to the bones of a superficial theme.
An Example Of Message Vs Theme – The Hobbit By JRR Tolkien.
The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien is a perfect story to use as an example of the difference between message and theme in storytelling.
Some of the themes we see throughout The Hobbit include:
- Home
- Comfort
- Adventure
- Bravery
- Friendship
- Heroism
- Greed
And the list could definitely go on.
Focusing on the theme of greed (because that theme is closely related to the story’s message) we see multiple examples of greed throughout the story. Smaug the dragon himself is personified in a way that clearly represents greed.
A prime example of that is when Bilbo takes the gold cup from the dragon’s hoard whilst testing out his burgling skills.
He [Smaug] stirred and stretched forth his neck to sniff. Then he missed the cup!
Thieves! Fire! Murder!
Such a thing has not happened since first he came to the Mountain!
His rage passes description – the sort of rage that is only seen when rich folk that have more than they can enjoy suddenly lose something that they have long had but have never before used or wanted.
JRR Tolkien – The Hobbit – Chapter XII – Inside Information
As the story continues and once the Dwarves are inside the Lonely Mountain, we see how greed affects Thorin and begins to warp his perspective and change his character.
The quest of Erebor itself is somewhat hinged on greed because it’s a quest to recover a stolen treasure rather than a quest of morality; hence the dwarves hiring a burglar.
But the burglar they hire, good old Bilbo, counters greed at every step of the journey.
Let’s fast forward a bit now and look at the message of The Hobbit, which is summed up nicely for us by Thorin as he lays on his deathbed and offers a final farewell to Bilbo.
There indeed lay Thorin Oakenshield, wounded with many wounds, and his rent armour and notched axe were cast upon the floor. He looked up as Bilbo came beside him.
“Farewell, good thief,” he said. “I go now to the halls of waiting to sit beside my fathers, until the world is renewed. Since I leave now all gold and silver, and go where it is of little worth, I wish to part in friendship from you, and I would take back my words and deeds at the Gate.”
Bilbo knelt on one knee filled with sorrow. “Farewell, King under the Mountain!” he said. “This is a bitter adventure, if it must end so; and not a mountain of gold can amend it. Yet I am glad that I have shared in your perils – that has been more than any Baggins deserves.”
“No!” said Thorin. “There is more in you of good than you know, child of the kindly West. Some courage and some wisdom, blended in measure. If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.”
JRR Tolkien – The Hobbit – Chapter XVIII – The Return Journey
Even in the movie adaptations of The Hobbit, they managed to keep this message consistent and use the various themes throughout the movie to add weight to the message.
Don’t get me wrong, I can bash the Peter Jackson adaptations of The Hobbit just as well as the next person, but one of the deviations from the source text that I did enjoy was the slight variation on Thorin’s final farewell to Bilbo:
“If more of us valued home above gold, it would be a merrier world.”
The Hobbit – The Battle Of The Five Armies (Peter Jackson)
Stories Need a Message to Resonate.
As we’ve seen by looking at both message and theme and digging into the example of The Hobbit, although the two may be intertwined, they serve different purposes, and it’s the message of a story that makes it resonate with an audience, provokes thought, and leaves a lasting impact.
On a slight sidenote, that’s why so many of us love collecting and sharing quotes – and in extreme cases, sticking them to the fridge… or is that just me?
A story’s message is much more specific than its themes and underpins the entire story, holding it together. For one final example…
A theme of this article is storytelling, whereas the message speaks to how by understanding the distinction between message and theme, you can craft more meaningful and impactful stories that connect with your audience on a deeper level.
Great stories have many components, building blocks that you can’t tell a good story without and even if one of them is missing, your story will fail to capture your audience. A Keystone Message is just one of those ingredients. See my guide – The Essential Elements of Storytelling – to explore the others.
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