THE relationship of abstraction to concretes is present in every aspect of writing. Is like a virtuous circle.
When the author composes a story she starts with an abstract idea (theme or general idea of the story) The author finds concretes (events, characters in action forming the plot) which illustrate that abstraction.
For the reader the process is reversed: He reads about the concretes the author presents in the plot and adds them up reaching the abstraction, the idea the author started with. Like a circle. The reader has to be engaged, not just a passive bystander. This is the deeper explanation of the importance of “show don’t tell” The author shouldn’t describe a hero as strong. She has to provide concretes which will lead the reader to conclude: this man is strong because he did x, y and z.
For example: the historical novel Gone With The Wind is a very skillful integration of abstract theme and concrete plot.
The Abstract theme is “The disappearance of the southern way of life.” It is concretized in the plot by the relationship of Scarlett with the 2 men in her life; Ashley whom she loves, representing the old south, and Rhett who loves her, symbolizing the destruction of the old tradition. Scarlet in spirit is a new south woman but she is in love with a man representing the old south. She wants Ashley, but she is much more like Rhett.
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