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.

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?

1 \tgraduating from college is the first
\tstep in making a good life for yourself.
2 \tin order to be happy, you must live in
\tharmony with your true nature.
3 \tthe true value of art is its ability to lift
\tpeople out of their dull lives for a time.
4 \tfinding a stable career is part of
\tbecoming a person of integrity.

Explanation:

The story follows a woman who abandons her artistic passion for a mainstream career, grows unhappy, then returns to art and finds joy. This aligns with the idea that happiness comes from living in line with one's true self, not the other options: college graduation is a setup not the theme, art's value isn't the focus, and stable career is shown to reduce happiness, not build integrity.

Answer:

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