the ______ of a story can be applied to other works of literature or to life.\nsetting\nplot\ntheme\ncharacte…

Brief Explanations:

The theme of a story is a central idea or message. It can be universal and applied to other literary works or real - life situations. Setting is the time and place, plot is the sequence of events, and characters are the people in the story, none of which are as applicable in this sense as the theme.

Answer:

C. theme