Suffering
Suffering is one of the saddest, but most profound, themes in The Wrong End of the Telescope. The refugees in the Moria refugee camp in Greece have undergone tremendous hardship and violence in their lives. They have gone to Greece to improve their lives and in many cases, escape the violence. They have suffered for much of their lives and will continue to suffer in the refugee camp, which has poor and occasionally, inhumane conditions. The Wrong End of the Telescope is a novel about the suffering of refugees (and Mina) and an allegory about how people should treat those in refugee camps better.
Self-discovery
Self-discovery is a vital theme in The Wrong End of the Telescope. Mina begins the novel as an incredibly intelligent but stubborn woman who feels confident in herself. She goes into the refugee camp not expecting to learn much about herself. However, she quickly encounters circumstances she never thought she would. She sees things that no one should ever have to see and experiences horrific things. Because of her experiences and because of the people she meets, she goes on a journey of self-discovery. And after her experience in the refugee camp, during which she goes on a profound journey of self-discovery, Mina becomes a new person.
Family
As The Wrong End of the Telescope starts, the novel's main character named Mina Simpson is alienated from most of her family except her brother, who she loves tremendously. She has been alienated from her family for several decades and has actively avoided her family and where they live for many years. She cannot and is unwilling to mend her relationship with them. For her, family is mostly not needed or appreciated. However, over the course of the book, Mina is forced to reevaluate her relationship with her family and her relationship with the world around her.
