What is the difference between theme and meaning?

Question

What is the difference between theme and meaning?

Answer 1

theme – noun

1. a subject of discourse, discussion, meditation, or composition; topic: The need for world peace was the theme of the meeting.  

2. a unifying or dominant idea, motif, etc., as in a work of art.  

mean·ing -- noun

1. what is intended to be, or actually is, expressed or indicated; signification; import: the three meanings of a word.  

Answer 2

Monsterpetals,

Two words.

Theme is What. Meaning is Why.

The theme tells the reader what the story is about. The plot tells the reader how it's carried out. The meaning is why the plot is going about the way it is. Why is it doing that?

You may have heard someone ask this question in a demanding way:

What is the meaning of this?!

The answer should be 'why' the person did what they did.

In the three little pigs, the theme was 'building a house.'

Hope this helped.

PJ M

Answer 3

In books.

For example, To Kill A Mockingbird:

Theme is prejudice (this is what the book is about/an idea mentioned repeatedly in the book)

Meaning is what the words and characters' actions mean