Question

What is the message or comment on life contained in a literary work?

Answer 1

The answer is "The Theme"

The theme is the general message, applicable outside of the work and related to life in general, of a literary work. The plot is what happened in the story, and a symbol is an element of the story that generally works to support an idea of the theme. 

Answer 2

I would say the correct answer is A. the theme. Whereas a literary work depicts a plot of some kind, recollecting particular occurrences in the lives of its characters, its theme is a general principle that can be derived from it, a universal message that can also be applied to many other works of art. A single work of art usually has many themes.