Which sentence best describes the theme of a story?

a. the message that the author wants to convey.

b. the idea stated in the opening lines of the story.

c. the idea stated at the end of the story.

d. the author’s view of the characters in the story.

The correct answer is option A. "The message that the author wants to convey". The theme of a story can be defined as the underlying message or the "big idea" that the author wants to convey once the reader had finished reading or watching the story. The belief or idea that the author expresses usually transcendent cultural barriers, particularly for globally known novels.

can you elaborate on what the question asks?