Beauty
Morris believed that a socialist society would result in not only happier people, but also healthier and more beautiful people. This is stated directly during a conversation he has with Old Hammond, who tells him, "[People] believe that a child born from the natural and healthy love between a man and a woman, even if that be transient, is likely to turn out better in all ways, and especially in bodily beauty, than the birth of the respectable commercial marriage bed" (60). This is also demonstrated by the descriptions of the characters as William meets him, nearly all of whom are introduced with descriptions of their physical beauty, the beauty of their clothing, and their youthful vigor. A good example is Boffin, a minor character whom William meets at the Guest House in Hammersmith. William narrates, "[I] saw a splendid figure slowly sauntering over the pavement; a man whose surcoat was embroidered most copiously as well as elegantly, so that the sun flashed back from him as if he had been clad in golden armour. The man himself was tall, dark-haired, and exceedingly handsome, and though his face was no less kindly in expression than that of the others, he moved with that somewhat haughty mien which great beauty is apt to give to both men and women. He came and sat down at our able with a smiling face, stretching out his long legs and hanging his arm over the chair in the slowly graceful way which tall and well-built people may use without affectation. He was a man in the prime of life, but looked as happy as a child who has just got a new toy" (20). The vivid imagery in this quote spans from Boffin's physical beauty to the beauty of his dress and even his engaging and attractive confidence.
Gender
According to Old Hammond, gender inequality is a thing of the past in 21st-century England since socialism gives everyone free choice over their jobs and family structure. In response to William questioning the roles he has seen women playing in society so far in his stay, the old man tells him, "The women do what they can do best, and what they like best, and the men are neither jealous of it or injured by it. This is such a commonplace that I am almost ashamed to state it" (58). He goes on to note that if William sees women doing jobs such as serving food or keeping homes in order, this is because they are good at it, and these jobs are looked upon as important and skilled work.
However, it can be seen from William's discussions with others that the issue of gender is not wholly gone from the society shown in News from Nowhere as women are still objectified for their beauty and role as wives. For example, Dick tells William, "''Tis a good job there are so many of them that every Jack may have his Jill: else I fear that we should get fighting for them. Indeed,' said he, becoming very grave, 'I don't say that it does not happen even now, sometimes. For you know love is not a very reasonable thing, and perversity and self-will are commoner than some of our moralist's think'" (35). In this quote, men are still looked upon as strong conquerors of women, with those women treated as goods to be had.
Politics
Politics as a theme is incredibly important to News from Nowhere since the novel was written as an explanation of Morris's ideas for a socialist society in England. Socialism is an economic and political system in which goods and the means of their production are owned communally, in contrast to capitalism. Despite the centrality of the theme of politics to the story, the chapter "Concerning Politics" (82), in which Old Hammond and William discuss politics itself, is the shortest chapter in the novel. This is to call attention to the fact that in a socialist society, there is no formal political structure. However, it is clear that there is still a semblance of politics since communities are able to come together to make decisions through discussion and voting, a process Old Hammond describes in the next chapter, "How Matters are Managed" (83). The difference between this political structure and that of 19th-century England is that everyone has equal say in these decisions, and nobody is forced to participate in anything (such as building a new bridge) that they don't want to.
Education
The change in England's education system is perhaps the most shocking transformation for News from Nowhere's protagonist, William Guest. William was raised in 19th-century England's education system, a system that is likely familiar to most readers, in which children go to school for most of the year and study certain subjects such as mathematics, English, history, and foreign languages. However, in the utopian socialist society depicted in News from Nowhere, children are not forced to go to school or study any particular topics. In place of this, children spend their time learning from their elders, not only trades but history, languages, and independence skills. Because of this informal system, there is no set time in life that learning starts and stops, and people seem much more interested, engaged, and likely to remember the things that they study. While William worries that this would result in an under-educated society in which people are not able to do things like read and do math, both Dick and Old Hammond assure him that people learn an appropriate amount of these subjects on their own, and challenge him on his own knowledge of mathematics after being forced to study it for many years of childhood.
Criminal Justice
Criminal justice is another area that has changed drastically in England between the 19th and 21st centuries in News from Nowhere. William finds that there is no formal criminal justice system, just as there is no formal, centralized government. The citizens of this future society seem to feel that it is better for people who have committed crimes to feel truly guilty for what they have done and change their ways, and they have evidently been taught that a system of prisons and even capital punishment do not have this effect. William is skeptical of this system's efficacy, but does not push the issue since he can tell that others, especially Dick, feel quite passionate about how the past system victimized people and tainted society as a whole.
History
William shows a significant interest in history while time traveling in the 21st century since he wants to understand how England changed from what he once knew to what he now sees. Much of his conversations with Old Hammond are about the history of the socialist revolution and its aftermath as people had to figure out how to function in a socialist country.
The people of the 21st century have a complicated relationship with history themselves because it is not mandatory to learn about it (since the elimination of a formal education system) and many feel that looking back into the past is not necessary since their society is functioning well. William seems to worry about this, and Ellen enunciates his fears when she tells him, "I think sometimes people are too careless of the history of the past—too apt to leave it in the hands of old learned men like Hammond. Who knows? Happy as we are, times may alter; we may be bitten with some impulse towards change, and many things may seem too wonderful for us to resist, too exciting not to catch at, if we do not know that they are but phases of what has been before; and withal ruinous, deceitful, and sordid" (191). The way history seems most pervasive is through literature, art, and architecture left over from past times, at least until those things need to be replaced with new versions to create more work.
Childhood
Childhood is a major theme in the novel because England's socialist revolution is said by many to have brought on a certain rebirth or second childhood. This is true both because the society has to start anew, and because it specifically allows people to act in ways people of the 19th century may have found childish: doing whatever they want, focusing their lives on art and pleasure, and facing no major negative consequences for anything they do (one will never be fired or jailed).
Children themselves and the way they are treated in society is also touched on throughout the book. Children do not have to go to school, so they spend their childhoods exploring the world with other children and with adults, acquiring skills that interest them. William meets some children camping in the woods and others who work in a shop with no adults supervising them, showing some of the options open to children. We also know from Old Hammond telling William that Clara and Dick have two children together that parents are quite hands-off with their kids, since the reader never sees them in the novel nor hears Clara and Dick discuss them.
