Misogyny and Feminism
Chip, as an ex-professor of critical theory, frequently debates internally on the roles of gender in society. Having taught feminist theory as a class, he spends years with a radical girlfriend, doing all of the cooking and cleaning, attempting to wash away his “male guilt.” When he no longer feels the need to prove that he isn’t shackled by traditional gender roles, he starts out on his own, but quickly realizes that he misses having a girlfriend. On page 45, Chip’s inner turmoil about these issues is evident: “To feel as if he couldn’t survive without a woman made a man feel weak; and yet, without a woman in his life, a man lost the sense of agency and difference that, for better or worse, was the foundation of his manhood.”
Advancing Technology
The dismantling of Alfred’s old livelihood, the Midpac railway through the rural Midwest, shows the theme of old technology being scrapped for the new. Alfred’s old invention is now being used in a futuristic programmable-brain technology, instead of for use in the railway industry. Gary resents towards Caroline’s willingness to give their son any new technology he wants, while Gary was only allowed watch a half hour of TV a day as a child. This also shows the progression of technology through the generations. The advancement of technology reveals the divide that Gary feels between himself and his son, and between himself and his father.
Money
Chip begins by believing that money, and other material objects, are not necessary to be happy. He is perfectly happy spending his days in the intellectual world, where thought for the sake of thought is all he has to worry about. Once Chip actually runs out of money, and is in a great deal of debt, he quickly changes his mind and comes to believe that money is necessary in the current American culture to be happy. Gary’s issues with his father also stem from money: Alfred refuses to try and secure more money from his patent, despite how much this would help his wife and children. These scenarios show that money is the root of many relationship problems, but is also necessary for those relationships to succeed.
Familial Responsibility
With Alfred’s Parkinson's disease worsening, his family must cope with his stubborn insistence to refuse extra care. Gary struggles with his father’s insistence to settle with only $5,000 for the sale of his patent, because he knows that it will be him who is forced to care for his parents when they run out of money. Gary also questions what his responsibility is to his mother versus his wife, when he is caught in the middle of their argument about Christmas. The book presents family as being a burden, but also something to live for, as both Gary and Caroline agree that his parents have almost nothing in their lives without their children there.
Taste
The issue of money vs. taste recurs in The Corrections. This theme is most obvious in the story of Denise, who is a high-end chef and must anticipate and understand the literal tastes of the upper classes. This theme is also illustrated in the pivotal difference between Robin and Brian: Brian has taste; Robin does not. Enid's yearning for a wealthy lifestyle is contrasted with her lack of taste. A friend of Enid's whom Denise visits while abroad lives an extravagant but garish lifestyle. Gary's wife Caroline throws Enid's gifts in the trash because they're not tasteful.
