The Strength of a Woman
In the Half Broke Horses, Jeannette Walls uses the character Lily to depict the strength of a woman. Lily lives at the time when there is gender discernment in which a woman is viewed as inferior and her place reserved in the homestead duties alone. However, Lily is tremendously strong to prove that indeed given an opportunity, a woman can perform better. During Lily's time, the chauvinist insolences towards women are prevalent. Lily does not stop at anything but works very hard to accomplish her goals even if she is a woman.
The predilection for men in this society is evident when Buster, who is Lily's younger brother is allowed to go to school before Lily does. Buster is ten years old and he starts schooling while Lily has to wait until she is thirteen years old. Her father often disrupts her schooling because he does not have enough funds to favor Buster. Nevertheless, Dad supports Buster and he is encouraging him to proceed to get a diploma. Lily is taking care of the family ranch but she knows that it will be inherited by Buster because he is a male child. Despite all these mortifications and gender discernment, Lily stands strong to chase her dreams and at last, she emerges successful in her life which depicts the strength of a woman in the novel Half Broke Horses.
The Theme of Poverty
Lily grows up when her family is experiencing thrilling poverty. Despite having a family ranch, her father is not able to give his children the luxuries of life as compared to the neighboring rich families. Her background is a humble one and simple because she only manages to get the basics. Despite living in a poor background, Lily works so hard until she becomes one of the successful people in America. As a young girl, Lily struggles to achieve education because sometimes her father could not afford to pay school fees for her. Sometimes the Dad makes a favored decision to pay tuition for Buster because there is not enough funds to support both of them. Lily looks up to Lupe and Dorothy because they inspire her. Despite their difficult situations, they do not give up life but instead, keep moving forward.
Embracing Modern Technology
As Lily grows up, there is a swift evolution of technology across the United States, which is becoming an essential part of the society. Unlike most characters in the novel Half Broke Horses, Lily accepts technology because she feels that it is part of development that will help her achieve her goals. She adapts to technological changes but retains her culture and traditions, unlike the many other characters who resist change. As the novel progresses, Jeannette Walls indicates that it is during Lily's time when various technological advances develop. For instance, it is during this time when automobiles are developed, telephones and electricity. Therefore, embracing technology emerges as one of the key themes in the Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls.
