Religion
One of the overarching themes present in this novel as well as other novels written by the same author is the imperfection of organized religions. Throughout the book, the Mormon men commit acts of evil and harass women in their society based on their religious beliefs. By blindly following their faith, they refuse to adapt to a changing world or the different emotional and moral viewpoints of various people. The entire conflict of the novel revolves around Jane having to choose between her religion and her love, a choice she has to make because of her religion's ignorance and blindness. The author paints them in a dark light and includes heavy negative criticism of the religion. Although he seems to be calling out the Mormons for their narrow-mindedness, he is actually calling out all religions, but simply chooses the Mormon religion because it would offend a considerably smaller portion of his readers than what would happen if he criticized Catholicism.
Justice
An important idea present throughout the many pages of the novel is the idea of justice and upholding a set of principles you believe in, in order to do the right thing for your society and family. This theme is so strong that it culminates itself in an actual character: Lassiter. Lassiter embodies the idea of justice and doing what is right. His sister was stolen from him years ago and he set out on a journey to avenge her brutal imprisonment and mistreatment. This leads him to destroying many of the evil men in the Mormon community. The idea of justice also presents itself during the section of the novel where Venters is about to be whipped by Elder Tull and banished from the town, simply because he had a relationship with Jane that the elders did not approve of. Lassiter arrives in the nick of time and saves Venters, saying it is not just to punish him for this nonexistent crime. The idea of justice also presents itself when Jane is mistreated and harassed by Elder Tull. Lassiter sees this abuse and knows it is wrong, eventually fighting to do what is right and save Jane from the evil grasp of her backwards community.
The Wild West
The nineteenth century, the time period during which this novel was written, was a time of popular focus on a romanticized view of the West. Many popular entertainment venues such as books and movies led to an overall incorrect idea that the West was a perfect place where cowboys fought for the people and saved their lovers from hostiles. This theme is heavily present in the novel and can be especially seen in the vivid descriptions of western landscape written by the author, scenes that make you feel like you are out there in the dust and dirt. He talks about the rolling meadows, and the sky-touching mountains, and the diving canyons frequently and passionately. The main plot also revolves around a typical idea of the Wild West.
Greed
A lot of greed can be seen in the book, especially with the high ranking members of the Mormon Church. When Jane's father passed away, he left behind heaps of wealth. From acres of range to thousands of sturdy cattle, as well as a mansion and riches, Jane becomes the wealthiest person in Cottonwoods, Utah, and probably all of Utah after her father passes away. Immediately, almost every single man in the town is after her and wants to marry her. The plot takes place in the late 1800's, a time when women would forfeit all their property to their husbands after marrying them, which is exactly what the men in her town wanted. One very powerful representation of greed was the Elder Tull, member of the Mormon Church who held a lot of power and did whatever he could to have Jane's hand in marriage. When Jane refused, he made her life miserable and performed every malicious act his cold heart could dream up of on Jane. Elder Tull and his greed eventually forced Jane to flee from town and he and his cronies robbed her on the way.
Violence
Violence, along with the fight against violence, is an integral theme present in almost every single chapter of the book. The primary conflict is initiated by the violence of the Mormon elders against Millie Erne and Jane. Individuals from the hierarchy from the hierarchy of the Mormon church abducted Millie and violently killed her husband, forcing her into captivity. Years later, they continue their violent tradition by attacking Jane and the people supporting her. They target Jane because of her extreme wealth and influence and beat Bern Venters nearly to death for being in a relationship with her. These examples show how the theme of violence drove the plot of the book, especially due to the fact that it was situated in the lawless lands of the west. A character who culminates this theme of violence is Lassiter. Although not a cruel nor evil person, Lassiter is prone to using his guns and rampaging through enemies that stand in the way of his idea of justice. Throughout the beginning of the book, he vows to seek revenge and inflict serious harm on the people who abducted his sister from her family and made her life miserable, often killing greedy bandits on his journey. When he arrives in Cottonwoods and discovers that the Mormon elders were the ones behind this malicious plot, Jane struggles to convince Lassiter not to use violence. They form a romantic relationship and Jane does whatever she can to persuade Lassiter against using his weapons on her fellow Mormons. This becomes a central struggle of their budding relationship and showcases how the theme of violence is ever-present in all aspects of the book, even during times of love.
Finally, violence leads to the early death of Oldring and the relationship between Bern and Bess. During a scuffle near the outside of the town, Bern kills one of his pursuers, Oldring, and wounds the other, Bess. Although Oldring was a cattle thief and not a man of high moral standards, there were many examples of his underrepresented humanity. The greatest example of this is the fact that he took Bess under his wing even though he knew she was a girl and protected her from the forces of the outside world, training her to become a formidable foe and a strong individual. Oldring's death leaves much to be known about his true qualities as a person. On the other hand, by wounding Bess, Bern is able to care for her and they too form a romantic relationship. This shows yet again that the idea of violence was spread to all corners of the book, and once again entwined with love.
