: Re: Is it acceptable to have the theme of a story remain hidden to its characters? I am trying to expand the depth of my writing beyond simple storytelling. Although my previous novel was an action/adventure,

@Kevin153

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Theme is a structural aspect of your writing, so it would ordinarily never be explicitly available to your characters --except in a post-modernist novel where they are aware they are fictional. Similarly, as a structural element, it should generally not call undue attention to itself. The reader should be able to enjoy the work perfectly well in complete ignorance of the theme.

That being the case, what is the purpose of theme, if not to call attention to itself? Like other structural elements, it is there to help you craft an enjoyable (meaningful, significant, immersive) reading experience that feels satisfying to the reader. Without a theme, a book can feel random, meaningless, self-indulgent, or like a waste of time. A successful theme binds the disparate elements of your book together into a satisfying whole.

Your characters and/or narrator don't necessarily need to be entirely forbidden from discussing the topic that composes your theme, but you'll want to be judicious about this. Like other structural elements, when theme is too often foregrounded, it can seem clumsy, strident and forced. A light sprinkling of explicit references can help the reader conceptualize your story without overly damaging their suspension of disbelief.

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