The central idea is not the same as the theme. In terms of literature, a theme is the message of the story while the central idea is the main idea of ​​the story. Just tell me what the text is about so it covers the essentials. You might ask: ~ In The Gift of the Magi, O. Henry gives readers a heroine and a hero that they can understand and thus learn from. As the reader discovers the power of selflessness, so does the same.