Being a writer
Like her better known novels, Gail Godwin uses her own experiences as motifs in her short stories. One major theme is the trials and tribulations of being an author for a living. Many of her short stories include references to the personal problems that are connected with this choice of profession. For example, "False Lights" discusses the marital problems of a writer who has problems distinguishing his writing from his real life. A common thread throughout her short stories is the concept that being an author means loosing a part of yourself in the stories or being unable to completely detach oneself from them. This can be seen in "An Intermediate Stop" or "Amanuensis".
Religion
Religious experience, as a big part of Gail Godwin's personal life, is a theme within her short stories. In contrast to the rather autobiographical content found in her books, the treatment of religion in her short stories is rather metaphysical. The best example of this can be found in "An Intermediate Stop", where a priest struggles between his divine aspirations and the needs of the real world. Godwin also uses mythology to discuss religious themes, such as Greek mythological concepts in "The Legacy of the Motes"
The sense of reality
The most unique theme for Gail Godwin's short stories is the discussion of reality. While her novels often focus heavily on a real experience, her short stories do not shy away from exploring more forms of reality. The border between dreams and the real world is often dissolved, as in "Dream Children". Another variation of this theme is found in "Nobody's home", when an old lady is struggling with her life and looks for a change, but is ultimately kept in place. She only has her imagination to go to and explore the plans she had.
Marriage
Connected to the theme of writing, Gail Godwin often uses her short stories to discuss the difficulties of married life. Interestingly, the theme of either a second wife or a mistress is recurring. This shows a rather negative attitude towards married life. Characters in her short stories often struggle with their decisions and look for confirmation or a way out of their marriage. For example "Nobody's home" depicts a woman struggling to flee, while "False Lights" is written as an interaction between a second and first wife. Gail Godwin is perfect at depicting the differing viewpoints of these characters, as illusionary as some of them might be.
Individuality
Another big theme of Gail Godwin's short stories is the discussion of experiences of individuals. Using tropes such as a distorted reality or a doppelganger, Godwin questions the uniqueness of human experience and shines a light on mundane activities. She also dissects the concept of individuality in her discussions on perspective, where one truth is distorted through human emotions and thoughts. This theme is present in almost any of Gail Godwin's short stories, but most prominent, for example, in "St. John" or "The Angry Year".
