The Non-Synonymous Relationship Between Morals and Themes

Contrary to the popular belief of some, morals and themes are not synonymous but instead two completely different ideas.  A moral is something the reader learns or takes away from a story, while a theme is an ongoing idea or main point of a story.  The ideas behind morals and themes have been analyzed in three short stories: "The Story of an Hour," by Kate Chopin, "Guests of the Nation," by Frank O'Connor, and "What You Pawn I Will Redeem," by Sherman Alexie.  In the three short stories that were analyzed, no two morals or themes were synonymous.  "The Story of an Hour," deals with a moral of the less surprises in times of trauma, the better, and a theme of freedom from a spouse.  "Guests of the Nation," did not necessarily have any clear moral but instead evident themes of loyalty and betrayal, and "What You Pawn I Will Redeem," contains several morals and themes, including being responsible about one's money as a moral and the struggle to survive as a theme.  In conclusion, the myth that a moral and a theme are synonymous is a large misconception and can easily be debunked just by analyzing texts, as has been done with "The Story of a Hour," "Guests of the Nation," and "What You Pawn I Will Redeem."