20 Powerful Thematic Statement Examples

A thematic statement, or thematic sentence, is an overarching message of a piece of literary work. It doesn’t mention the piece of work, author or characters, but it conveys the true essence of the work. Themes typically cover abstract universal ideas and concepts like love, identity and trust. Your thematic statement tells you exactly what the writer is saying about the theme.

For example, look at the theme of love in The Hunger Games. A thematic statement for this might be:

Love can make you care more about others than you do about your own life when put to the test.

This thematic statement is seen in multiple areas throughout the book, like when Katniss volunteers for her sister or puts herself at risk to save Peeta.

When trying to figure out your thematic statement, you might hear the words theme and topic. The theme and topic of a book are different.

• The theme topic is a universal message you have to read the book to understand, like “death” in the Harry Potter series. You can’t know this theme by just reading the book jacket.
• Topic, on the other hand, is the in-your-face overview of what the book is about, like “a boy learning a magical world exists and he’s part of it” for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

Now that you know what a thematic statement is and how it’s different from a topic, check out some different theme statement examples.

Theme statements come in all different shapes and sizes. And, there are a plethora of theme topics you might find in stories. To create a perfect theme statement, you combine that overarching theme topic with a message the author is making. Check out a few different examples.

• Death is not something to fear but something to embrace as inevitable.
• Gossip can destroy a person’s reputation in one whisper.
• Evil deeds are punished in ways you might not expect.
• Trust in yourself is just as important as trust in others.
• A family supports you even when the rest of the world doubts you.

One powerful theme found throughout literature is that of identity. Several character types are always searching for their identity or losing who they were along their journey. Explore theme statement examples about identity.

• Finding acceptance in yourself leads others to accept you as well.
• Staying true to yourself can lead to possibilities in life you didn’t expect.
• It takes faith in yourself to thrive in a harsh world.
• Faith in yourself and your ability is a scary but essential lesson to learn.
• Your identity isn’t static but grows with you as you discover more about yourself.

When it comes to themes, trust is a big one. Not only does a character’s trust and loyalty get tested, but at times wholly shattered. Learn a few compelling thematic statement examples about trust.

• It takes immense courage to put your trust in others, knowing they might fail you.
• The strength of a relationship is built on the trust you have in the other person.
• Trust can be hard to achieve and easily broken with one wrong move.
• Trust can not just be given; it has to be earned through actions.
• Though it’s hard to accept, you can’t always trust friends and family to have your best interests at heart.

To say love is a central theme in books is an understatement. Whole genres are dedicated to the theme of love. Take a look at different theme statement examples of love lessons in literature.

• Love taken to extremes can become dangerous.
• Loving yourself, despite your flaws, can lead to a happier life.
• Love can help us to be our best selves.
• Deep love can protect us even after they leave this Earth.
• Love has the power to alter us in positive and negative ways.

Creating a thematic statement means getting down to the essence of the author’s message without mentioning the book. Theme statement examples can typically cross through several books and genres. Learn more about theme by looking at theme examples in literature.