Loyalty and well-being
The novelist begins the story with a kind of thematic question. Imagine a woman so contemptuous of her husband that she is willing to poison him, but once she is acquitted (because of his defending her in court), she is back to the disappointment and frustration. She wonders where her autonomy went, and it quickly becomes evident that the reason the husband protected her was because he had strict intentions for her. He makes her into a slave, and she is left to fend for her own mental health and wellness. The portrait isn't just about dysfunction—it's about intent. Is the husband loyal because he loves her or because he is using her?
Gender roles and power dynamic
When Anne sees the horrifying state that Bernard has left his wife in, she realizes something about her brother. She sees that, although the brother might have been family to her, his relationship to women is so damaged and one-sided that he doesn't even realize he is slowly killing his wife by keeping her stranded and locked up, feeding her only wine and cigarettes. The oppression is clear, but it isn't like he is a powerful man. Rather, his lack of strength and will power create him into an oppressive, regretful character.
Isolation and sanity
When she is isolated with her dysfunctional husband, Therese is a mess. She is dying inside, both of starvation and loneliness, and her escape plan has failed. Not only this, it failed in a maddening way. He defended her in court so he could have her back as his kept house wife and servant. Not only is she alone, but her sanity is tested. In the end, the isolation ends when Anne comes to visit, and Therese is restored by female company—the first real female attention to her situation in the book. In the end she leaves free.
