Contradiction between England and Italy
The events in the story take place in two countries which are alike in their magnificence and power but different in their customs, traditions and the way of life: these are England and Italy. Sawston is typical small Enlish town “full of dust, good manner and gossips”. Life there is not attractive, it is dull. People there pretend to be “virtuous” but they usually are more about keeping up appearances than actually doing the right things, this is exactly how the Herritons family looks. Italy in the story is “a museum of art”, “the land of beauty”, and it is a pleasure for both the body and soul to visit it at least once in life. but the life there is not so sweet as it may seem from the first sight. The problem with Monteriano, the place, where Lilia came, is that even though it is beautiful for its landscapes and views, it is hard to say whether its dwellers are morally good people. So, this theme lies in differences of cultural background of these two countries and how do these differences affect people, who live there, their manners, behavior and attitude to life.
Life inside the box
Lilia couldn’t live in a metaphorical "box" that limited her options. She was always told what to do and how to behave to became a part of upper society, and when she thought that marrying Gino will bring her freedom she was cheating herself because her family life was also a box, but not so beautiful and exquisite as she used to live in before. Lilia’s zeal for freedom was a mirage, she didn’t want it, because freedom means responsibility and it was not her cup of tea, so, just changed the one box into another (not very clever, but even today the life of majority of people looks like jumping from the one box into another).
Marriage
Marriage is an important step in life of a person, and it should be thoroughly thought through (what a nonsense, thought Lilia and married Gino having known him for a few weeks). The man have to be mature and have enough money to provide his family with all resources which they need for a comfort life (yes, sure, thought Gino and married Lilia when he was 21 and was as poor as a church mouse). And what achieved these two fools at the end? Naturally, nothing good, they tortured each other and where unhappy. As it happens, passion is not enough for happy family life (really?!), there must be a responsibility, care, resources and, of course, love.
Fatherhood
The theme of fatherhood is leading in the story. We know much about the connection between mother and a child and their relationships, but what does the father feel when the child is born, how does his care look like? The book is not a guidebook for young daddies, it opens the reader another aspect of fatherhood, where the love and care are important but not vital and decisive in upbringing. Gino longed to have a child although he was a child himself (when Lilia told him that he said that he can be a brother for his son – very mature position) and he was so proud of himself that he didn’t even noticed Lilia’s death, it was not important anymore because now he has a child – the continuer of his family, a little creature not bigger than his foot that makes him happy. But the child died and now Gino feels devastation as if the part of himself has gone. And in spite of this, he wants to have a baby again and in the nearest future, it may be strange and wild for the reader but Gino is more pragmatic in this aspect and he knows that things which made once him happy, will make him happy again, it is not the question of love or devotion, it is the question of emotions and delight.
Society and the individual
Society runs the individual, society dictates the rules of life for individual, it is a great power of communal thought and imposed values. The one who will dare to rebel will be dismissed. Lilia tried to rebel against the British society, but she couldn’t confront against the Italian one, because it was much strict and cruel. Italians didn’t care what other people think or say about them, as British do, but they are more passionate, headstrong and hard to manipulate. It is a traditional patriarchic society where the husband id the head of the family and woman must obey implicitly. So Lilia appeared to be a misfit in both societies (who is a lucky dog?), she lost the battle and the war, she couldn’t be happy in England so she was unhappy in Italy, her struggle was in vain because the society is a hard nut to crack.
