Final answer:
The central message or lesson of a novel is known as its theme, which encompasses the main ideas, lessons, or messages conveyed through its stories, characters, and conflicts.
Step-by-step explanation:
The central message or lesson of a novel is its theme. The theme is the main idea, lesson, or message in the novel. It may be an abstract idea about the human condition, society, or life. Understanding the theme requires you to look at the narrative as a whole: the conflicts, the characters, their development, and how they relate to each other and to the story's settings and events.
Conflict or tension is intimately tied to the theme since it often highlights the main issues the characters grapple with, which in turn reveals the theme. Conflicts can be internal, where the character struggles with their own thoughts, feelings, or beliefs, or external, where the character faces challenges in the outside world.
As you examine literature, you’ll note that the theme not only connects the dots between plot points and character development but also implies a broader statement about humanity, life, or the universe. It is the unifying idea that provides coherence to the story as a whole and is often expressed in a complete sentence. For instance, an analysis of Shakespeare's Hamlet might reveal themes of grief, vengeance, and political corruption.
When evaluating a text's adherence to its central narrative, detail in character development, setting, and sensory details, one can often discern how thoroughly the theme has been explored and presented. A clear and organized sequence of events helps to maintain focus on the theme by guiding readers through the narrative path intended by the author.