What term refers to the dominant idea or central theme of a work?

• A. Motif
• B. Theme
• C. Plot
• D. Conflict

Answer: (A)

The central idea being tested is identifying the work’s theme—the main idea or message about life, society, or humanity that the author conveys through characters and events.

A motif is a recurring element—an image, object, or phrase—that appears again to reinforce the theme, but it isn’t the idea itself. For example, a recurring symbol like a clock might reinforce a theme about time, mortality, or urgency.

Plot is the sequence of events that moves the story forward, while conflict is the struggle that drives those events. Both contribute to how the theme is explored, but they are not the central message itself.

So, the correct concept when asked for the dominant idea or central theme is theme. Motifs help support that theme but do not equal the idea itself.