Mother-daughter relationship
The girl's most important relationship is that with her mother. From a young age, she struggles to listen to her mom's instructions. One night the girl goes for a walk, and realizes that the world is dangerous and strange; perhaps her mom knows what she's talking about when she warns her against acting certain ways, especially around men. They share a sweet moment together after that where they both talk openly and honestly about what themselves -- fears, mistakes, proud moments, desires, etc. As the girl grows up, she starts breaking away from her mother. This leads to a mutual resentment. In the end, however, they both make peace with the new status of the relationship and work on building an even healthier relationship than ever before.
Developing self identity
The girl is growing up. As part of her journey into adulthood, she finds herself forced to figure out who she is. This theme of identity is prevalent throughout the text. Wherever she looks, she's learning, and she's learning about herself specifically. She agonizes over the many nuanced intricacies of personal development, trying to understand herself and her purpose better. Finally, she understands that she doesn't need all the answers at one time. When she looks at the objects and nature around her, she realizes that she's a part of centuries of human development. Her experience is valuable, so she just accepts herself.
Male oppression of the feminine
From a young age the girl becomes conscious of the strained dynamic between men and women. Thanks to her mother's constant warnings, she knows that men are not to be treated the same as women, nor trusted. In the Afro-Caribbean, she faces unique threats of gender-bias and violence. This constant threat leads to resentment in her young mind. She begins to distrust men altogether, as a class, because of the fundamental value difference between the sexes which she observes in her culture.
Maternal worry
The mother's primary function is concern. From start to finish, she continually admonishes, warns, and encourages her daughter to make good, safe choices. She doesn't outgrow this need to worry, but she does allow her daughter to begin making more and more choices independently until she is on her own. The mother makes some mistakes along the way. when her daughter takes a job away from home, she sends a letter designed to illicit guilt for leaving home in the hopes that the girl would give up and return to the rest of the family. Despite some setbacks, the relationship between the two follows the normal progression of such things. Eventually, the girl comes back into good graces with her mother, ingratiating herself with new depth and understanding born of real life-experience.
