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In my Dictionary Of Literary Terms And Literary Theory, I don't have an
entry for "subject." This doesn't eliminate the possibility of their being
"local" stipulative definitions by individual groups who may be very
authoritative. "Subject" is a commonly used word in the arts. However, this
dictionary of terms does offer a definition for "theme." I will briefly
discuss both to try to give you a sense of what the words are about.
Subject
The word "subject" in literature usually refers to a very concise statement
about the focus of the story. Someone might ask, "What is the subject of
your story? What is the subject of your shot?" When declaring the subject,
you commonly list the object or an aspect of the object , or the state of
the object, or an effect on the object. In the following examples, the
subject is in ( ): "My film is about (dogs)," or "My story is about the
(mistreatment of dogs)," or "My movie is about (mistreated dogs)," or "My
story is about the (consequences of mistreating dogs)." So: my subject is
dogs, my subject is mistreatment of dogs, my subject is mistreated dogs, my
subject is the consequences of mistreating dogs.
Typically stories have one subject; that is, they have one thing that they
are about. The subject will typically be central to all dramatic action
within the story - it is the core of the story.
Themes
Stories may have many themes, but usually have at least one central theme.
The theme is implicit to the story, and is an ever present or recurring
idea, very similar to a motif. (Implicit means implied or understood, even
if not directly expressed.)
According to my dictionary of terms, "Properly speaking, the theme of a work
is not its subject but rather its central idea which may be stated directly
or indirectly. For example, the theme of "Othello" is jealousy."
So while you may say that the "subject" of the Othello story is, "The tragic
consequences of jealousy," the "theme" is jealously. Other themes in the
Othello story include trust and honor.
