The theme of identity
Emma leaves her home country for Paris to study medicine to be a doctor like her father. However, after arriving in Paris, Emma realizes that she is different, and the whites do not recognize her as one of their own. Throughout the text, Emma struggles with her identity crisis and embarks on a long journey of self-discovery. Emma realizes that getting a decent job in Paris for a foreigner is not easy because she is black. Consequently, Emma realizes that nothing works for her except her brain, and she decides to become a nude dancer.
Hypocritical society
The theme of hypocrisy is dominant throughout the play. Emma is the protagonist living in Paris, where she went to study medicine but racial discrimination is the order of the day. When Emma realizes that her brain is of no use, she resolves to work in nightclubs as a nude dancer. Paradoxically, the whites who racially discriminate against her turn up in large numbers to look at her hypersexual body. During her prime years in her dancing career, she was beautiful with a sexy body that attracted many whiter revelers to watch her dance naked. The hypocrisy of the white people is unimaginable because they are attracted to Emma's sexy body. Still, they discriminate against her in reality because she is not one of their own.
Love
When Ishmael runs away from Haiti, Emma opts to host him because he is a fellow citizen running away from the revolution. Later, Emma falls in love with Ishmael, and she looks forward to settling down with him. Ironically, Ishmael is a sexual predator because he left a wife at home. Besides his wife, Ishmael has another lover, but he pretends that he loves Emma to satisfy his sexual needs. Emma is innocent, and she falls prey to Ishmael's trap, and he uses her for his selfish gains. The play emphasizes the negative impacts of loving blindly.
