Love for God and spirituality
The narrative explores the different ways a person can prove his or her faith and love for a spiritual being. Kempe's account was heavily influenced by the spirit of the day, so it presents methods deemed proper in the Middle Ages for expressing one’s spirituality. It also includes the customs and rituals a person would go through for religious purposes. People had different ideas about what it meant to be spiritual and manifest faith in the Middle Ages so naturally, some of the behaviors described in the novel may appear at time strange and unusual.
Sin and forgiveness
Another major theme is forgiveness, both from God and from Margery’s side. Time and time again, Margery forgives those who treated hear harshly or who criticized her for her behavior and she didn’t held any grudge against them. By doing this, she proved that she had a much more noble character than those around her and that she really followed the principles in the Bible. Jesus also forgives those who have sinned against him and he promises to forgive everyone who gives up their old ways and changes their life around. Margery is also obsessed with forgiveness but not for herself but for those around her. She hopes that through her faith she will be able to make the other sinners give up their wicked ways and return to God and in some cases she is successful and influences other characters for the better.
Obedience
Another theme is obedience, and it is once more linked with spirituality and religion. It is stressed the importance of listening and following orders in order to be saved and Jesus even tells Margery that the best way she can serve him is to be quiet, to listen to him and to follow his orders no matter what. Obedience was required especially from women as they were considered naturally inferior to men and unable to take any important decisions by themselves. Thus, Kempe had to be obedient to God, Jesus, her husband, the church and also other ecclesiastic figures she visited and who advised her on what to do.
Suffering
Much of the narrative centers around suffering, some of which is Margery's and some of which is Christ's. Suffering is a large part of the Bible and thus makes its way into Margery's encounters. Margery takes on humiliation from town to town to serve Christ and so she suffers in her own right. Margery feels that she would like to die for her servitude like many saints, but Jesus assures her that it won't be necessary and that he would rather her continue spreading his word. Margery knows that Jesus died and suffered greatly for mankind's sins and this causes her to feel great sadness to think about. Margery in extremely empathetic and this is why she continually suffers for Jesus.
Devotion
Not only does Margery Kempe love God, she is devoted to him in everything she does. She risks death, trial for heresy, the relationship with her friends and husband, and the comfort of her life to serve God. This is the ultimate portrayal of devotion towards higher purpose. In addition, Margery abstains from sexual intercourse and fasts which was very difficult for her to do, but her devotion carried her through. This is not just about love; it is about finding a higher purpose and her devoting her life to the salvation of herself and others.
