The trouble with themes?

[Guernsey]

"They say that every story need a theme, I find themes quite troubling"

Anyone knows this quote and knows more accurately than I do? It has something to with themese for stories and there one nagging question in my mind about themes, do you really themes for stories or can with have a good story without the need for themes?

[kazukifafner]

I think it's possible to have a good story without a theme, but it would be very difficult. After all, a theme gives a story a focal point to build on, creating a meaningful, deep plot (of course, it's the writer's job to flush it out).

[risingfalls]

If writing papers in English proved anything to me, it's that with enough BS and a basic knowledge of your story, just about anything can be made into a "theme" of the story through your own "artistic interpretation".

But on a serious note, I agree with Kazuki for the most part.
And even if you didn't write a story with a theme in mind, I think that the story would form one. Good thing about stories is that they're multifaceted (well, most of the good ones), and they can be interpreted differently, so one could probably find a theme in a story, regardless of the author's intentions.

[Snow Candy]

Not really. I like themes. It's that sometimes it can get confusing--talking about story themes by the way.

[*~NeoAdamus~*]

anyone who watch FLCL. did that have a theme? i liked the show as confusing as it presented itself to be.

[Riku-Keyblade]

Stripped down to its core, a theme is just a message.
And every story will have a theme even if you don't want it to, because someone will always be able to find some sort of message within a story.
This is of course taking into consideration the traditional story structure. =/
It'd be hard not to find a single theme in any story unless the story wasn't really a story at all.

[*~NeoAdamus~*]

oops.....see i was thinking of a moral. I agree, i don't think its even possible to structure a story without some kind of theme

its pretty much the backbone of a story

[obbsessed fan]

I enjoy them actually, I like a story with purpose, it tugs on the emotions more and makes it a great book story. Some are harder to find, but unless your going into an English major, or want to be a smart ass or something. After school you should only read them for entertainment, and if they really intregue you, you can look deeper into them.