Symbol for change
The Mystery man who later introduces himself as being Thomas stops at the town’s crossroad and there he is met by other characters who point him in the right direction when they find that he is searching for a woman who can help him. The place where the character stops is important because in literature, crossroads are associated with the place where the Devil comes to make deals with however wants to achieve something form life. Thus, in this case, the crossroad is used here as a symbol for change.
The power of music
A motif found in the novel is the idea that music is powerful and that one should be aware of this fact and use its power wisely. Big Mom know just how powerful music can be and how it can influence other people and thus she tries to warn others about its dangers.
The devil and the music
Another motif in the novel is the connection between the devil and the music. In the past, religious people considered certain genres of music as being the tool through which people communicated with the devil. This connection is also a common motif in the novel and is mentioned by various characters in multiple places.
Community ruined by drinking
Another motif found in the novel is the idea that the Native American community was ruined by the excessive drinking everyone engaged in. The men and women on the reservation used drinking as a coping mechanism and they used alcohol as a way of dealing with their problems. The drinking did not solve their problems and only created more difficulties on its own and the characters thus found themselves in a vicious circle form which they would not escape.
Cancer
Another common motif in the novel is the idea that various characters refused to admit that their loved ones killed themselves and claimed instead that they died of cancer. Thomas and Chess all claim that their mothers developed cancer at some point in their lives and died but indirectly it is hinted that the two women killed themselves when things became hard for them.
