The theme in a piece of fiction is its controlling idea or its central insight. It is the author's underlying meaning or main idea that he is trying to convey. The theme may be the author's thoughts about a topic or view of human nature. The title of the story may point to what the writer is trying to say and he may use various figures of speech to emphasize the theme, such as: symbol, allusion, simile, metaphor, hyperbole, or irony.