How can you find the central idea if the author does not state it directly?

Ok so, the central idea is the central, unifying element of the story, which ties together all of the other elements of fiction used by the author to tell the story. The central idea can be best described as the dominant impression or the universal, generic truth found in the story. So in other words you can for read and use context clues also to help find what the author wants the reader to look for. Hope this helps.