Wealth
The theme of money is one of the most important in the story. Young Peter being poor always longed for wealthy life and when such an opportunity appeared he with no thinking agreed not even realizing what he was giving up. And he could not fully take all the advantages a wealthy life offered, as he was made stay at home all the time, because a shadowless person was not welcomed well in the society. The author very deeply opens up the theme of money as it stays desirable beyond times and places. What is earned with no effort can bring little enjoyment.
Love
Peter’s love to Minna is a pure feeling, but he is cursed and cannot open his secter to his beloved. The theme of love is not so developed, but it is important as a novel in a romantic genre cannot deal with no love. Minna loves Peter back, but she stays obedient to her parents and does not dare to follow her heart. Peter finally let Minna marry another person, as he is miserable enough himself to make other people miserable.
Supernatural
The supernatural exists in the story as an inalienable part of reality. For instance, the appearance of the man in grey, who is the devil himself, is not questioned: it is accepted with no doubts about its truthfulness. The possibility of a person being with no shadow is also believed, and that shadow could have been stolen or worn out is also accepted by ordinary people. A supernatural theme is deeply integrated with reality, and the edge between natural and supernatural is invisible.
