School stories have almost become a genre. However, they have a few common themes. They involve minors -- ages ranging from pre-school to late adolescence -- and almost always deal with self-discovery. Occasionally, they deal with children revealing a wonderful truth to jaded adults. Intertwined story threads can include separation from parents when starting kindergarten or college, dealing with bullies, making new friends and moral dilemmas, such as tattling or telling the truth.
The warrior or soldier theme can be found in almost every genre. Fiction tells the stories of individuals in ways that news reporting cannot, focusing on the emotions of combatants. Realistic and historical fiction can simultaneously explore varied responses to particular conflicts. Science fiction and fantasy take a look at "what if" themes. What if the South had won the war between the states? What if Hitler had lived? What if combatants could wield magic? In each instance, however, the human responses are what make these stories live for the reader.
This German word translates literally as "year of wandering." Like the warrior, this theme can cut across genres, although it is often used in epic fantasy as a primary plot device. The main character makes a journey and in the process learns something about himself. Like the school stories, the journey can be a walk in the local neighborhood, or it can be extended travels to lands or even worlds unknown.
From German also comes the term "Gotterdammerung" or the Twilight of the Gods. This is a story that deals with a dramatic collapse of society. Smaller themes weave in and out of this larger one as various characters respond to the situation. Sometimes the collapse is a grand one, as in "No Blade of Grass" by John Christopher, or it can be something much smaller, as in Jack London's tale of the man who failed to light his campfire with the first match.
No examination of themes would be complete without a look at the most prevalent theme of all: steadfast and undying love. Perhaps best delineated in "The Princess Bride," forever faithful, forsaking all others, love is the primary driving force in many literary works. It can drive the Wanderjahr, mitigate or cause the Gotterdammerung, repel bullies, repair psychosis, find cures for almost any ill known to humankind -- at least in fiction. It is the reward for the Warrior and creates the safe nest for the child or youth in the school story.