Relations between parents and children
This topic is widely opened in the relations between the protagonists of the novel. Quilla is always arguing with Pete, almost never noticing her other child Trisha. Trisha always tries to reconcile them, but she can’t manage it. But she is in good relations with her father, and the only thing which she doesn’t like is that her father drinks too much. The author shows how disastrous may be parents’ neglect to their children. He shows that parents have to not only try to bring their children up from the “material”, “fleshly” side. They have to give their children their attention and care first of all. Quilla should have thought about her son’s dissatisfaction, to think more about her daughter. Larry should not drink, if she wants to be a really true father, an example for his children. And at the end of the novel the author gives the reader a hope that the protagonists’ relationships will become better after this accident with Trisha. But at the same time the author indicates that mostly often some disaster should happen so people start value what they have
Reality and fantasy
This theme concerns Trisha in the plot of the novel. These two “sides” interweave in the girl’s mind: she sees a bear and it seems to be a terrific beast for her, she sees Tom Gordon in the forest, a snake, though there is nothing there. All these hallucinations anyhow are related with her life, with the thoughts which are always occupying her mind. Tom Gordon is her love so he is always near her in her fantasies, she doesn’t like that her father drinks too much, so he is weak and characterless in her fantasies, she is in constant fear while wandering in the forest, so her archenemy is the God of Lost. So, actually her fantasy is her subconscious, which issues to her mind all her fears, thoughts and feelings.
A person in extreme circumstances
This theme also concerns the protagonist of the story Trisha. While a person turns up in an extreme situation, he or she shows his or her true face. Trisha, 9-year-old girl, shows this face in amazing, if it’s appropriate word in this case, way. She shows braveness, struggling not only with the real obstacles on her way, such as physical worning out, hanger, thirst, but, what is more terrific in this case, with her fears, with beasts, with monsters in her head. And the author shows the reader, that it doesn’t matter how old a person is, when he is in danger or in a seemingly no-way situation, he will find the way-out of it, no matter what obstacles, real or imagined, are on his way.
