Love and sacrifice could be one of the main themes. Often in such novels, characters are willing to sacrifice a great deal for the ones they love.
The themes include acceptance. Kobayashi accepts Tohru into her life despite her being a dragon, and this acceptance spreads to others in their circle. And there's the theme of transformation. Tohru is constantly changing and growing as she experiences life in the human world, from her understanding of human emotions to her daily habits.
One common theme is the exploration of cultural differences. Since the dragons come from a different world, fanfictions often play with how they interact with human culture. For example, they might be confused by human holidays or social norms.
One common theme is friendship. Just like in the original series, fanfics often emphasize the strong bonds between the characters, especially between Kobayashi and the dragons. Another theme could be self - discovery. The dragons, who are in a new human world, may go through a process of learning more about themselves. Also, family - like relationships are common. The dragons and Kobayashi start to form a family - unit - like bond in many fanfics.
One common theme is power. Dragons often represent great power, and the characters in the novel usually have to deal with how to control or be controlled by this power. For example, in 'Eragon', Eragon has to learn to control his dragon's power and use it for good.
Another possible theme could be the passage of time. As time goes by, memories can fade but also intensify the feeling of missing someone. The novel could show how the characters' relationship changes over time and how that affects their feelings of missing each other. For instance, if two characters were separated for a long time, the time apart could be used to build up the emotions of missing one another.
One of the main themes is self - discovery. Miss Pettigrew goes through a day that is completely different from her normal, drab life, and in this process, she discovers new aspects of herself. Another theme could be the contrast between different social classes. The novel shows the lives of the rich and the poor, with Miss Pettigrew being from a lower social class and getting a peek into the glamorous but sometimes empty lives of the upper class.
Loneliness is a major theme. Miss Brill is clearly a lonely woman, and her actions in the park are a way to cope with that. Another theme is illusion vs. reality. She has this grand illusion of being part of the park scene, but the young couple's comments bring her back to the harsh reality.
As I don't know the exact 'Miss Hinch short story', it's hard to determine the main themes. But common themes in short stories could be love, friendship, coming - of - age, or mystery.
Self - identity. Miss Brill's fur piece is a symbol related to her self - identity, and her experiences in the park make her re - evaluate who she is in the face of the rejection from others.
Some fanfiction focuses on the adventures that the characters go on. It could be a journey to a magical place related to dragon lore. There's also the theme of family. Since the dragons sort of form a makeshift family with Kobayashi, fanfiction may explore how they function as a family unit. For instance, how they celebrate holidays together or deal with family - like problems. Additionally, the theme of self - discovery for the dragon characters is present. They are in a new world, and they have to figure out who they are in this different environment.