Question

A universal theme is a message about life that recurs in many forms of literature and can apply to all people and all times. Read the following story summary, and think about theme.

A young woman talented at painting and sculpture graduates from college. Although all she wants to do
with her life is create art, her friends and family encourage her to go into a more mainstream line of work.
They say she will never be able to support herself as an artist. The young woman sacrifices her dream of
being a professional artist and becomes a city planner. Over the years she becomes more and more
unhappy. She tries to work on her art on the side, but finds little time or energy for it, and the conflict
between making a living and doing what she loves comes to a head when she finally decides to leave her
job and enter a Master’s degree program for art. The story ends with her first day of class, and although
the reader does not know what will happen next, the heroine is full of joy as she steps into the classroom.
What universal theme is presented by this story?

Graduating from college is the first step in making a good life for yourself.

In order to be happy, you must live in harmony with your true nature.

Finding a stable career is part of becoming a person of integrity.

The true value of art is its ability to lift people out of their dull lives for a time.

Answer 1

In order to be happy, you must live in harmony with your true nature.

The heroine gives up her passion, becomes unhappy in a practical but unfulfilling job, and ultimately returns to art—showing the story’s message that true happiness comes from following one’s authentic self. The other choices either focus on graduation, valorize choosing a stable career (the opposite of the plot’s lesson), or limit art’s value to temporary escape, none of which fit the story as closely.