Love
The author shows in this story the not traditional portrayal of love. The story is, in its core, a love story between two completely different individuals, different in their backgrounds and their expectations in life. It starts off as a classic love story, Lawson and Ethel meet and a magical bond is created between them, but they soon taste the consequences of real life. Lawson is a white man, and as a white man living in a colonized state, walks with a sense of superiority. Ethel’s background is mixed, her father is a white man and her mother a native woman, but Ethel carries herself as a native woman. Trying to “civilize” his native wife, Lawson takes her to England, but she, naturally, feels the pull of her home, and leaves him. The story shows the dark consequences of a love story gone terribly wrong, when two individuals equally refuse to accept each other’s otherness.
Colonialism and racism
Set on a colonized island, the story naturally shows the effects of colonialism, the main one being racism. The natives of the island are seen with contempt, and as inferior to the white colonizers. This is most evidently shown through the example of Lawson. His sense of white superiority clashes with the love he feels for his wife, and is often ashamed of her and her family. Most striking is the birth of his son, and Lawson’s commentary on his dark color, which makes him question his decision and the life that lies in front of him.
Domestic abuse
The story, through the example of Ethel, shows that the native women are accustomed to, groomed into believing that domestic abuse is a normal occurrence and that it proves the husband’s manliness. This is ingrained into Ethel, and after Lawson strikes her in fury, she is disturbingly described as being the most in love with him. When he regretfully comes to her to apologize, she has nothing but contempt and hatred for him, because it is a sign of unmanly weakness.
