Murder
The theme of murder is evident throughout the text. The memories of the murder of Thalia are still fresh in the narrator's mind. Thalia and Bodie were classmates and roommates during their senior years in high school. Unfortunately, one day, the school woke up to bad news when Thalia was found dead in her room. The killing of Thalia within the school compound was the first nasty experience the Hampshire boarding school experienced. Teachers and students, including Bodie, were traumatized because their security was compromised.
Racism
After the death of Thalia is discovered, the school administration calls the police, who respond immediately. When the police arrive, they arrest Evans Omar, a black athletic trainer at the school, accusing him of the brutal murder of Thalia. The white police officers are discriminative and arrogant because they do not want to allow Omar to explain himself. According to white police officers, black people are associated with crime. Therefore, the police do not conduct an adequate investigation to confirm that Omar killed Thalia. The court judges are also discriminative because they convict and sentence Omar to 20 years in prison without adequate evidence because he is a black man. Later, it is discovered by Bodie that Omar had nothing to do with Thalia's death.
Sexual violence against women
Makkai’s novel I Have Some Questions for You explores the theme of sexual violence against women and girls. While Bodie was in high school, she remembers how her male teacher used to harass her sexually during her adolescent years. In addition, Thalia is brutally murdered by her boyfriend because she stands for her rights. The narrator’s troubled childhood experience and the unfortunate killing of Thalia show that society faces a challenge because women and girls are not adequately protected from male sexual predators.
