Save the Cat Breakdown Image - Theme

In the previous article, we explored a Save the Cat story beat called the Setup and how it sets the stage for your work, showing what the protagonist’s normal life is like. In this article, we will delve into the Theme beat, which is part of the Setup.

What is the Theme?

The theme of your story should occur sometime around the 5% mark, or at around 4,000 words in a typical 80,000 word novel. All great stories have a theme; the challenge is weaving it in delicately rather than hammering the reader over the head with it. A reader should instinctively grasp what a story’s theme is without even realising that there’s a theme to begin with.

An example of a poorly done theme, by today’s standards, is the stereotypical fable. The boy who cried wolf, for example. These work for children, of course, but if you try to do the same thing in a book for adults, it’s a quick way for it to be put aside. Adults don’t want to be told what to do or think, they want to be entertained.

A theme could be a trope. Love conquers all is both a trope and a theme, as is good versus evil. It is an overacting concept that is carried through the entire story.

Another way to look at theme and, I think, the most useful way, is that theme is where plot and character arcs come together.

How is a Theme introduced?

The easiest way to state the theme is through dialogue, usually a side character talking about it to the protagonist. However, ensure you do this naturally. They could be reminiscing about a character’s past or making plans for the future, for example.

Another way is to show the theme through action, again, usually by a side character and to a lesser extent than what the protagonist will need to face up to. For example, if your theme is self sacrifice, there could be an event in your story where a child runs out onto the road. The protagonist freezes, unable to act, but a friend rushes in to save the child, nearly getting hit by a car themselves. This is both a character defining moment and a way to introduce the theme.

The theme is also known as the protagonist’s truth, the thing they have to learn by the end of the novel. It doesn’t have to be so moralistic as “lying is bad” (but it can be if you handle it with subtlety and grace). It could be ‘relying on others is okay’, or ‘learning to love again’. In this situation, the protagonist starts the story believing the opposite, their misbelief, because of their previous life experiences. For example, they could have learned that they can’t rely on anyone but themselves after having their trust betrayed again and again. As the story progresses, the character grows and realizes they can trust others — at least those who have earned it. That character growth is the theme.

The Theme in Disney’s Mulan

Mulan actually has two scenes that convey the theme of the movie. The first is the musical number Honour to Us All. Part of the lyrics in particular say:

A girl can bring her family great honour in one way, By striking a good match, and this could be the day.

Mulan, as her family’s only child, is the one responsible for bringing her family honour and, as a girl, that means striking a good match.

But, as we already discussed in the Setup, Mulan fails spectacularly at this.

As a side note, this song also serves as a fantastic foil against the later song A Girl Worth Fighting For. Where this song is from the point of view of the women and is about the traits a girl must display to attract a good man, the song A Girl Worth Fighting For is from the men’s perspective and extols the virtues they value in a woman.

After being sent home from the match-maker in disgrace, Mulan hides her face from her father in shame, feeling as though she’ll never be the perfect bride or the perfect daughter. She feels as though that’s not who she is, that her true self is someone her family would be disappointed in. These feelings are capitulated in the beautiful song Reflection (my personal favourite of the whole movie, closely followed by the soundtrack that plays when Mulan takes her father’s place in the army. That powerful music still gives me goosebumps all these years later!).

After the song has concluded, Mulan is sitting under the cherry blossom tree and her father comes to join her. He doesn’t offer empty platitudes, “We still love you,” or “You’ll do better next time”. He speaks around the problem, saying how beautiful the blossoms are, and pointing out one particular one.

“My, my, what beautiful blossoms we have this year. And look, this one’s late! But I bet that when it blooms, it will be the most beautiful of all.”

He pins Mulan’s hair up with her flower hair comb as he says this, and Mulan smiles, knowing he is talking about her.

These two scenes display the theme of the movie perfectly. It is all about being true to yourself, even if that doesn’t fit the traditional mould. It is also Mulan’s truth that she must learn. At the start of the movie, her misbelief is that she must be the perfect daughter to bring her family happiness and honour, and that only by doing so can she be happy. We know that by the end of it, not only has she brought her family great honour by protecting the emperor, but also that they love her regardless and that she is happiest being true to herself.

The Theme in Flewelling’s Luck in the Shadows

Luck in the Shadows is a mystery novel and the author has said in interviews that she took inspiration from Sherlock Holms, with Seregil and Alec being modelled after Sherlock and Watson, respectively. Consequently, it has similar themes to that great story.

There is a master and apprentice trope at work, with the almost OP character of Seregil (or so he appears at this moment) teaching the naïve Alec the tricks of his trade. Seregil manages to break free of his shackles with little difficulty (albeit with a bit of pain). He also teaches Alec a slight-of-hand trick in palming a coin. Alec shows a surprising knack for it, despite never having attempted anything like it before. And then, throughout the setup, Seregil is acting as a teacher for Alec (and consequently for the reader) about the history of the land and their various customs.

Another important scene is the escape from the castle itself. Seregil warned Alec that if he fell behind, he would be left behind, and yet, despite struggling to manage on his own, Seregil still makes the effort to rescue him and take him with him when they flee on horseback. This is a theme that is repeated throughout the novel; Alec is expected to manage on his own, but when he falls, there is always someone, usually Seregil, there to help pick him back up and put him on the right track again.

These two themes make up the backbone of the novel and propel the main story and the protagonist in Alec, forwards.

Final Thoughts

The theme is one of the more subtle requirements of story telling and it requires a deft touch. It plays a pivotal role in informing the reader what your story is about, without outrightly stating it. It conveys what tropes are included in your story (and don’t delude yourself, all stories have tropes) and what your protagonist’s character arc is going to be (this can be positive, negative, or flat).

Stay tuned as next week we’re diving into the dramatic Cataclysm; what it is and how it turns your protagonist’s life upside down.