What do you think the novel suggests about the themes of family, loyalty, and forgiveness?
The family and loyalty issues were messy. I’ve never known of a mother and daughter who pursued the same man. That’s not realistic in my sheltered world. It’s hard for me to formulate an opinion about the theme of family and loyalty because of this scenario. And they both had children by Emilio. Yikes!
Forgiveness seemed to come in small steps and then in a final leap with the appearance of Billy. Let’s not forget that Thirza and Billy will be welcoming a sibling. Illustrating a family tree would be a challenge for this group! All is forgiven by everyone and they live happily ever after or so we are to believe.
It’s okay to have animosity toward your family but don’t let anyone else do/say something against them.
Forgiveness, the more experienced we become, the older we get, we begin to see the value in others and hopefully soften ourselves.
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Karen,
I totally agree with your assessments especially of family loyalty and aging helps us have the wisdom to forgive.
I think Karen B1 described it perfectly. I also think that Thirza was the only truly loyal family member. Too much was on her shoulders.
The book illustrated that there was no forgiveness, that the idea of real family meant little, and loyalty was only sporadic. Luckily for me, in my family those words had meaning and were practiced daily. The novel’s family finally began to understand how important the concepts are. I believe they would develop a real family over time.
Add to these themes the theme of guilt. All the main characters struggled with guilt about Billy’s disappearance. To assuage their guilt, they tried to place blame elsewhere, and forgiveness was hard, especially for Dulcie. Columbine’s guilt turned her into a sickly, miserable person. As to the theme of family, Thirza is the only one who tries to remain loyal to her entire family. She hopes her mother will return, and she warms to her father’s new wife. In the end, it seems that everybody forgives everybody!
I think that it suggests that family, loyalty, and forgiveness are deeply interconnected and often complicated by secrets and the passage of time. Family is portrayed as both a source of strength and tension, because in almost every family there are hidden truths, misunderstanding and unresolved past events. There is a strong emotional pull that keeps characters connected to their family roots. Characters are often forced to choose between loyalty to their loved ones and loyalty to their own sense of truth or personal happiness; that may suggest that true loyalty sometimes requires difficult decisions, and it can be tested when secrets come to light. Forgiveness is a central theme that develops gradually throughout the story. I loke the fact that in the novel forgiveness is not immediate or easy, but it’s a process that requires understanding, empathy, and emotional growth.
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