Family Background
Family background is a huge theme in the novel. We primarily see its importance at the beginning of the book, when the book is focused on Willie Chandran's dad and his earlier life. Willie Chandran's dad was part of the brahmin heritage and had a family that was high-ranking in the government, which would have secured him an easy job. However he rejects that family background because he doesn't want it to define him and his life. He decides to marry a poor woman who is from a low caste, which leads to the family background that Willie has. Willie is constantly ashamed of his family background and what his father did, which affects him by creating animosity between him and his father. This family background also makes Willie want to flee India, which he does by going to London on a scholarship. Throughout the entirety of his college stay, Willie makes up his family background because he is scared of his true family background. This not only creates instability in his character, but it makes him constantly nervous at the thought of maintaining all the lies he has created.
Identity
Identity is a huge theme in the book and can be found represented throughout almost every chapter in the novel. Identity is the reason Willie Chandran's father rejected his own family and married a woman of low caste. He wanted to do something worthwhile in the country, like follow the independence movement, and thus forge a new identity for himself. Willie wants to create a new identity for himself as well and escapes his home in India to get rid of the identity of his childhood that was tainted by his father's actions. Later in London, Willie tries to make a new identity in the university. He lies about his family and says he is from an ancient Christian settlement in India. Willie does this to inject confidence into his identity and separate his identity from that of his father's. He also engages in sexual adventures to once more form a sense of confidence in his identity and distinguish the differences between him and his father. Finally, we also see the theme of identity in Ana and Willie when they move to Ana's estate house in the Portuguese colony in Africa. Both of them live there for many years, trying to form new identities for themselves and change their perspective on who they are. At the end, both feel as if they have not forged new identities and must go on separate paths to once more find themselves.
Sexual Freedom/Desire
Sexual freedom is a large part of the novel that manifests itself while the book takes place in England as well as when the book takes place in Africa. It is an important part of how Willie Chandran changes throughout the book and develops as a character. In London, he has a sexual freedom he never had back at home and wants to use this freedom to eradicate his self-doubt. Willie goes through many different adventures, starting with Percy Cato's girlfriend. He often goes for the girlfriends of his friends and finds it hard to get a girl on his own. Eventually, his sexual frustrations lead him close to hiring a prostitute and his inexperience further mentally drains him. However, he does find Ana and is able to comfortably express himself sexually when he is with her. After staying in Africa for awhile, Willie's passion for Ana fades but his sexual freedom only increases. The estate manager shows Willie the places of pleasure and although he is unwilling at first, Willie eventually falls into this sort of life. It is unclear if there was any motive for Willie to do this other than sexual pleasure. Willie later falls in love with Graca, a needy wife of a new neighbor, and makes love to her many times. This sexual freedom and desire eventually tears Willie from Ana and their marriage ends.
