Oppression
The main theme portrayed in this collection of intertwined stories is the historical recollection of oppression that the Haitian people suffered under the totalitarian rule of their dictator Papa Doc. It shows the forceful expression of power, and absolute silencing of the people, resulting in complete control of both their private and public life. Anyone who dared to speak or show opinions differing from their ruler in any sort of way, even painting an unflattering painting as shown in "The Funeral Singer" of the authority, ends up disappearing inexplicably or flat out killed.
Ghosts of the past
The entire collection of stories revolves mostly around people or connected to the people living in a rented apartment belonging to the dew breaker and his wife. All of them have a story to tell from their past, from the time when they lived in Haiti and experienced violence and oppression. They want to escape from their past, hope that no one knows about their past so that they can start a new life, but their stories are all similar in their grimness.
Killer's story
The main plot in the collection is that of the unnamed dew breaker who left his past behind and started a life in New York. The fact that he throws his daughter's sculpture of him into the water, could be seen not as act of repenting for what he did, but a sign of self-awareness and awareness of the atrocities of his past. Despite the story showing his side as a loving father and husband, one should not make mistake of forgetting that he was a killer, that he was a monster from nightmares that took people out of their homes early in the morning when dew was formed on the grass. The story is realistic in the sense that it shows how that sort of man could escape unscathed (for the most part at least) and form a good life and have a good family, while he prevented many from that fate. The story shows his happy ending wrapped in literal escape and escape from the past woven with silence, avoidance of questions and refusal to face the truth.
