Tradition
Tradition is a major theme in the story. Raman's aunt is a strong believer in traditional values and stories, often turning to them for advice and insight. Raman finds her perspective on these matters somewhat irritating and overly intense. He thinks that she remains stuck in the past. He chooses not to follow various Hindu customs like not eating meat or wearing his facial hair long. Daisy is similarly suspicious of tradition as she believes it has solidified antiquated gender roles and led to massive overpopulation. Her family planning campaign is centered on the idea that the traditional approach to sex education (not talking about it at all) has caused massive problems all over the country, mostly for women. While Raman's aunt finds comfort and stability in tradition, Raman and Daisy think it has only caused problems.
Quality Work
Quality work is another important theme in the book. Raman takes a great deal of pride in his occupation as a sign painter. He carefully selects the right materials for the sign, color for the paint, and design for the lettering. However, his work is often unappreciated by his customers who have absurd demands and want things done as quickly and cheaply as possible. His perfectionism and care causes him to clash with these patrons and sometimes results in him not being paid for his hard work. Raman's daily struggles at his job show the difficulty in having to commodify something that one treats like an art form. The quality of his work not only goes unappreciated but actually gets in the way of his receiving compensation.
Love and Relationships
Love and relationships are another major theme in the novel. Raman is overwhelmed by feelings of love for Daisy. He admires her intelligence and beauty. After spending more time with her, Raman finds himself unable to contain his feelings and confesses his love for her when they return to Malgudi. Though more hesitant initially, she eventually acknowledges that she shares his feelings. Later, things fall apart when it becomes clear Raman hopes that she will become a housewife and spend her days caring for him. At the end of the story, Daisy tells Raman she loves him but that married life doesn't suit her, as it would require giving up her work. The novel reveals the way in which romantic love alone is not enough to sustain a long term relationship.
Sexism
Sexism is a central theme in the story. Daisy's family planning campaign aims to educate women about their options for birth control and family planning. She does this because she believes the silence surrounding sex education has led to massive overpopulation and the oppression of women across the country. Later, the reader learns that Daisy has a personal connection to this issue, as she was nearly forced into a bad marriage by her family. She ran away from home at a young age to escape this fate and wants to help other women avoid becoming trapped into traditional gender roles. Her work and life experience indicate the prevalence of the systemic sexism that the women in the novel face.
Obligation
Obligation is also an important theme in the story. Raman often gets annoyed with his aunt but then feels guilty, as she has cared for him for his whole life. It is later revealed that his parents died in an accident, leaving her as his sole guardian. He alternates between frustration and guilt because he has a sense of obligation to her for all of the help she has given him. This only intensifies when, before leaving on a religious pilgrimage, she shows him all of the work that goes into running the house (keeping the cupboards stocked, cleaning, etc.). Daisy's fear of being weighed down by this obligation directly informs her decision not to go through with the marriage. The book portrays the heavy weight of the obligation to care for another.
Desire
Desire is a significant theme in the story. Raman wrestles with his feelings of sexual desire. He thinks that it distracts him from his work, but he cannot help feeling drawn towards certain women. This proves particularly true about Daisy who occupies all of his thoughts and makes him unable to focus on anything else. This initial infatuation ends up being the basis of his romantic feelings for her. At the same time, the story reveals the dark side of these feelings. Daisy hesitates to become involved with anyone or get married because she is so aware of the dangers of becoming pregnant. For her, desire is a much more fraught and dangerous emotion, as she will bear the brunt of its consequences much more than Raman ever will. The story shows how Raman and Daisy's contrasting experiences are shaped by the gender roles of their time and place.
Provincial Life
Provincial life is also a main theme in the story. Daisy and Raman travel to various villages all over India as part of Daisy's family-planning awareness campaign. There she tries to share information about birth control and sex education in an effort to help women and curb overpopulation. She encounters some resistance to her work but is able to help people by disseminating information that was previously unavailable to them. At one point, she argues with a local priest who claims to be helping barren women become fertile. At the end of their conversation, he says he knows that she ran away from home at a young age, which unnerves her. The book never specifies whether or not his powers are real, but Narayan does not dismiss the priest as a figure of absurdity or narrow-mindedness. Narayan offers a humorous but sympathetic portrayal of provincial life. He does not completely dismiss the viewpoints of the villagers, but does show the lack of information available to them as a result of their smaller social circle. At the same time, he subtly suggests there is validity and even wisdom in their traditions and rituals.
