Final answer:
A theme in literature is a recurring idea or message that the author wants to convey. It is the central topic or underlying meaning of a story.
Step-by-step explanation:
A theme in literature refers to a recurring idea or message that the author wants to convey in a text. It is the central topic or main subject of the story that can be inferred through the characters, plot, and other literary elements. A theme is not the same as the subject of a text, but rather the underlying meaning or lesson that the author wants readers to take away from the story. For example, in the novel 'To Kill a Mockingbird' by Harper Lee, one of the themes is racial injustice.
Learn more about Theme in literature