Question

The _______ of a short story is the overall message of the story.

Answer 1

The theme of a short story is the overall message of the story. 
So the answer would be B.

Answer 2

B. Theme

The Theme of a short story is what tells the reader what the author is trying to converse to the readers, such as, for example:

The theme that "Slow and steady wins the race" inside the story about the race between the tortoise and the hare. If it was not stated in the end, readers can still imply that what the writer is trying to say is that when you take your time and put in effort, you can accomplish more than when you rush, and at the end, give up. 


hope this helps