The phrase "a general theme of" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing the overarching idea or concept that is present in a piece of writing, art, or any other form of expression.
Example: "In her novel, there is a general theme of resilience in the face of adversity."
Alternatives: "an overarching theme of" or "a common theme of".
If Taleb were on to a general theme of history, he wouldn't have to invent his examples.
A general theme of NICAR was network analysis: how we can use it in journalism and why we need it.
There are skimpy skirts, tails (for a note perfect if pointless version of Peggy Lee's Fever) and a general theme of low material, high glitz.
And if you look through the eighteen covers that I've done for the magazine, there is a general theme of people being victimized by fashion.
I yakked on and on, like a toastmaster gone wild, on a general theme of the satisfaction offered by community involvement.
But it was a very political speech, with climate change in particular getting picked out for mention, as well as a general theme of equality.
There may be a general theme here of monoaminergic modulation of sexual motor acts.
The first major debate in the philosophy of biology exemplified the first of these, the use of biological science to explore a general theme in philosophy of science.
Eyes specialized for sight underwater, on land, or in the dark are not fundamentally different from each other; rather, they are modifications of a general theme: "Thus, in comparing the eyes of different kinds of animals, we see, in their resemblances and distinctions, one general plan laid down, and that plan varied with the varying exigencies to which it is to be applied" (p. 31).
A general theme is the impact of the functional groups commonly found in first-generation and second-generation biofuels on thermochemistry and reaction pathways, compared with those of hydrocarbon fuels.
In contrast to a prior emphasis on the finality of cell fate decisions in developmental systems, cellular plasticity is now emerging as a general theme in the biology of multiple adult organ systems.
