Abuse
Child abuse in all its forms is discussed though the book, as all the characters go through some sort of it, whether it is sexual abuse, violent abuse, physical abuse or mental abuse. The consequences of abuse are also brought up, as a ghost appears. Maree was only 14-years-old when she committed suicide as a result of the abuse she suffered, and she haunted the home for peace during the whole play. The other girls also suffered from self-harm and suicidal thoughts.
Upbringing of Children
How children are treated and expected to act affects how they grow up. Judi, who was only 16-years-old, was used to being sexually abused by the guards as she grew up in the home. When she was let out of the home, she continued with these actions and became a prostitute with a track record, as this was all she knew and all she had done as she grew up. Therefore, an important message in the play is that you must take care of children and how they are exposed to evil from a young age.
Freedom
Freedom is a clear theme in the play, as all the eight characters chose to go back to the Parramatta home for the reunion. In doing this, they not only set their past behind them, but they were freed from the hooks of their past as well. They stopped letting their past define them, as they confronted everything they had been through, setting it aside and letting the audience know that no one should forget their history.
