Black life as subordinate
Undeniably, these characters and their stories are trying to tell us something through their point of view, but ironically, they are often misguided by the limitations of their point of view. For instance, when taken as singular, the wet-nurse in early retirement represents a kind of transition away from communal dependence; in the future, it seems families will not have to work as hard to survive because of luxury. But when taken in harmony with all the rest of these stories, as well as the constant thematic portraits to this effect, it is clear that Toni Morrison is depicting the range of options for black people. They can be beautiful and exotic, so that people like Michael can fetishize them, or they can find work by becoming subordinate to white people.
Women and men as family
Morrison paints pictures of gender dynamics that hinge on gender, because in addition to the racial injustice that she demonstrates through the various stories and the way race limits them, she also recognizes that for black women, the limitations are doubled. Because women are viewed as inferior by men, the families in her novel suffer unnecessarily, but when held in balance, the issue of gender is only an opportunity to help the family in different ways. Therefore, the issue is misogyny, not gender.
Wealth and the illusions of happiness
Although many people go off to try and live happy, healthy lives, that doesn't mean that they succeed. The people who are left behind often mention those who leave as if they are dead, in this novel. In fact, some of the characters are barely part of the story, but in the community, they are still held as valuable parts of the broader black family, so there is an illusion present. The illusion is that happiness is something that should be gained by leaving one's community, but actually, the full picture is that people should leave their community to find a way to help their community later. In this story, we see both sides of the coin—how enlightened, traveled people help to instill their friends with hope, and how "better-than-thou" escapists harm the hope of their black communities.
