Subject Matter

All texts are about something. Whatever this is, we can refer to it as the subject matter.

Introduction

To identify the subject matter of a text we can ask a simple question: "What is it about?" 

The answer to this question should be short and simple: a recipe book is about cooking, Harry Potter is about wizards, and a lot of online videos are about cats.

Understanding Subject Matter

While it is relatively easy to identify the subject matter of a text, as students of English we are more interested in why a creator chooses to explore a particular topic. 

To answer this question, it is helpful to think about the relationship between subject matter and some of the other textual elements. 

Context  

There is a strong relationship between context and subject matter. 

For example, from 1454–1573, in what is known as the Sengoku Period, Japan was rocked by fierce fighting between rival samurai clans. As a result, the subject of many paintings, poems and plays from this era is military conflict. 

From 1615–1868, however, in what is known as the Edo Period, the absence of warfare resulted in texts about peaceful pursuits such as romance and spiritual fulfillment. 

Understanding why certain subjects are more common in some contexts than others teaches us about how human interests change (or don't change) over time.

Purpose

A text's subject matter is closely connected to its purpose. 

Think about the subjects of texts that are common in our own day and age. There are, for example, a lot of films and television shows about superheroes at the moment because this subject is seen as entertaining by audiences. 

In addition, there are lots of documentaries about climate change because creators like David Attenborough would like to inform audiences of the importance of this issue, and hopefully persuade people to take action as a result. 

Theme

Finally, a text's subject matter is also closely connected to any underlying themes it is exploring.

While we will examine this relationship in more detail soon, we can note here that while a text's subject matter can be identified from the question "What's it about?", a text's theme can be identified from the question "What's it really about?"

NEXT:
Tone