Loneliness and guilt
Loneliness has nothing to do with solitude; it could be frightening, exhausting, and even destroying. Loneliness can lead to insanity. Lili Rose struggled to accept an idea of her exile. It was so unfair, so painful, and so devastating. Her loneliness made her question her actions, made her feel guilty and responsible for the tragedy that had happened. Lack of parental love, constant self-blaming, and an inability to return home broke her, so the girl became just a shadow of her old self. Lili Rose’s story shows why solitary confinement is considered one of the cruelest punishments.
Forgiveness
They say that it is important to learn how to forgive. Otherwise, life is going to be unbearable. It does sounds quite logically, for happiness can’t be built on a foundation of sorrow and regrets. The majority of characters have to find a way to forget about their past and move on, no matter how difficult and painful it really is. Life is not a fairytale romance, it could be unfair and ugly, but if one wants not only to survive but try to be happy too, he/she has to master lore of letting the past go.
Violence
What can’t be either stopped or controlled? According to Joyce Carol Oates’ works, it is violence. It is not a secret that people can be cruel to each other, even the closest ones. Violence is both a fascinating and frightening construct, the best minds of this world have tried to solve its mystery to be able to understand and control it. Regardless their numerous attempts, the answer is still not found. The writer gives us a chance to have a glimpse at raw, uncontrolled cruelty, so that no one of us has ever even thought to blame a victim.
