Rape
Rape is the incident that starts the memoir, and throughout the book runs the theme of the true effects of rape. As Alice says, "Since [that event] I've always thought that under rape in the dictionary it should tell the truth. It is not just forcible intercourse; rape means to inhabit and destroy everything." The book seeks to bring awareness about not just the physical shock of rape, but most importantly the psychological and emotional toll it takes on the victim. The protagonist, Alice, undergoes a tremendous emotional journey where she has to learn to come to terms with what happened, demonstrating the theme that rape is so much more than bodily assault.
Recovery
Another principal theme of Lucky is the theme of recovery, and what it means to truly recover emotionally. Lucky chronicles Alice's painful recuperation process as she struggles to deal with what has happened to her, and it candidly portrays her ups and downs with doing so.
Independence
After the rape, Alice realizes that she is definitively isolated from her friends and family because none of them truly understand; they only judge. As so, the theme of independence is a big one throughout the novel, for Alice becomes more self-sufficient in a good way, learning how to heal emotionally and overcome a great inner struggle. As she says, "You save yourself or you remain unsaved."
Life
Life, death, and what it truly means to be alive are explored several times throughout the memoir. Alice reflects many times on what could have happened in that tunnel, thinking that her rapist could have murdered her, and would that have been preferable? However, Alice's strong will to live, and persevere through whatever life challenges her with, is what pushes her to eventually overcome the rape and grow from it.
