The nature of love
The nature of love is one of the most significant themes in The Only Ones. For most of her life, Inez has sold her genetic material—hair, nails, and other things—in order to make a living. One day, a client asked her to take that a step further: for pay, she would carry a baby for the client to term. Inez accepted, thinking that she would not be involved in that child's life. However, after the child is born and her client refuses to take responsibility for the child, Inez is forced to become a mother, a position that typically calls for a tremendously loving person. Initially, she doesn't know what to make of her new child. However, she quickly grows to respect and even love her new child. She hadn't really loved anything before; she learned how to love after becoming a mother. She learns that there are nuances to love, and she learns what the true nature of love is for everyone, especially the love that exists between daughters and their mothers.
Identity
Ani's unique origin becomes a focal point for her quest to determine who she truly is. Ani was born because of a transaction between her mother, Inez, and Inez's wealthy client, who desperately wanted a child. She was not born from love or necessity, as most children are born. As a result, Ani struggles to understand her place in the world. Throughout her life, she struggles with self-worth, acceptance, and belonging—all three of which are universal in the human experience but different for Ani because of her status. At the same time, Inez undergoes a journey of self-discovery as she confronts her past and evolves from simply a survivor to a caregiver. Through this theme, the author aims to uncover what shapes who people are and how they come to discover and then accept their identities.
The ethics of selling your genetic material
The post-apocalyptic setting of the novel was borne from disastrous pandemics, which eliminated many humans' ability to reproduce and destroyed the gene pool. This led to a society in which genetic material becomes a commodity from "clean" individuals (or people who were not impacted by the pandemic and thus had clean DNA). Inez, as one of those "clean" individuals, sells her genetic material, which raises moral and ethical questions about the commodification of the human body and the potential consequences of genetic manipulation. The line between survival and exploitation of the "clean" individuals blurs, inviting readers to question how the sales of genetic materials impact society. It also prompts readers to question where the line between science and commerce should be severed.
