Guilt is a common theme. In 'The Scarlet Letter' for instance, Hester Prynne's situation makes her experience a kind of social and personal fall. The guilt she feels and how she copes with it is a central part of the story.
The loss of innocence is another theme. In 'Lord of the Flies', the boys start out as relatively innocent children, but as the situation on the island deteriorates, they experience a fall into savagery, losing their innocence along the way.
Redemption is also often explored. In many 'fallen' novels, characters try to find a way to redeem themselves. For example, in 'Les Misérables', Jean Valjean, after his initial fall into criminal behavior, spends his life trying to atone and find redemption.
One common theme is the struggle for survival. In the face of a smallpox epidemic, characters have to fight not only the disease but also the resulting chaos such as food shortages and social unrest. For example, in books where a town is hit by smallpox, people are forced to find ways to keep themselves and their families alive.
One common theme is the power of nature. After the Chernobyl disaster, nature took over the abandoned areas. Fiction books often explore how nature reclaims the land and how it is both a source of beauty and a reminder of the disaster.
One common theme is the struggle with self - identity. In anorexia fiction books, characters often grapple with how they see themselves in relation to society's ideals of beauty and health. For example, in 'Wintergirls', the protagonist's anorexia is closely tied to her sense of self - worth and her perception of her body in the eyes of others.
Cultural clashes are also frequently explored. In books like 'The House on Mango Street' by Sandra Cisneros, the young protagonist Esperanza experiences the differences between her Mexican - American family's culture and the broader American culture around her. This can lead to misunderstandings but also to a rich exploration of different values and traditions.
One common theme is the emotional journey. Pregnancy brings a rollercoaster of emotions like joy, fear, and anxiety, which are often deeply explored in these books.
Survival is a major theme. For example, in many books, characters are constantly fighting against the odds in the concentration camps just to stay alive another day. They use their wits, their relationships, or sheer luck to endure the atrocities.
Cultural heritage can also be a theme. Sweetgrass has cultural importance in many Native American cultures. So a 'sweetgrass novel' could be about the passing down of traditions related to sweetgrass, like how it is harvested, prepared, and used in ceremonies. This could involve stories of generations of a family or a community maintaining their connection to this plant and the values it represents.
Survival is a major theme. In books like 'All But My Life', we see the protagonist's struggle to stay alive in the face of extreme brutality in the concentration camps. Another theme is loss. The loss of family, friends, and a sense of normalcy. For example, in 'The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas', Bruno loses his innocence as he gets closer to the reality of the camp.
Survival is a major theme. Characters in these books often have to fight for their lives in the harsh conditions of the penal colony. For example, in 'Papillon', the main character constantly battles against the elements and the guards to stay alive.
One common theme is the exploration of the relationship between settlers and the river. For example, how they relied on it for transportation and trade.