Love
The theme of love is the leading one in the novel. The author represents it in two completely different aspects. The first one is the love between Columbine and Wilson – a virgin, pure feeling that brings them happiness: “ The beauty of Columbine's character and the nobility of Moore's were not illusions to Wade. They were true. These two were of the finest fiber of human nature. They loved. They represented youth and hope—a progress through the ages toward a better race”. The second one is what Jack feels toward Columbine – something wild, unnatural and even cruel. He doesn’t care if she loves him, he wants to get her at any price: “All the way home Columbine was occupied with feelings that swayed her to the exclusion of rational consideration of the increasing perplexity of her situation. And to make matters worse, when she arrived at the ranch it was to meet Jack Belllounds with a face as black as a thunder-cloud”. And, it doesn’t matter how hard Jack tried to separate Columbine and Wilson, it all was in vain, because the true love is always stronger.
Hate
Hate ruins people. It is a strong feeling that brings more evil and problems for those who hate rather than to the object of our hatred. When Wilson Moore tells wade how much he hates Jack Bellounds, the hunter explains to him that there is no use to hate him because it will bring Wilson but not Jack more problems. And Wilson agrees with him, Jack hated everyone and everything through all his life and now he is not able to love, he is miserable selfish Buster Jack and nothing will change him. It is much better to love rather than hate, but for some reason people cant control that because the world is cruel and hate makes us stronger and helps to get used to life in this cruel world. And as Wade said “there's got to be balance in nature. If it weren't for the ugly an' the evil, we wouldn't know the beautiful an' good”.
Paternity
Columbine had two fathers – rancher Bellounds and hunter Bent Wade. The first one was the man who grew her up, whom she owes everything she knows and everything she has. He was kind and gentle and loved her as his own child. Still, he made her to marry his son Jack because he wanted him to be happy; Columbines’ feelings weren’t taken into account. And Columbine couldn’t do nothing but obey, because her gratitude for him. On the other side there is Wade – a man with black past but light soul, he became her friend, a good angel who protected her love, she could always rely on him because he was ready to do everything to make her happy. Columbine was wondering why he was so good to her, and she was shocked when she found out that he was her father. But she never blamed him, she was just thankful that she was happy to be called his daughter because he was the best and the wisest person she ever knew.
Happiness
Everybody wants to be happy but, unfortunately, there is no a recipe for happiness because it is represented in many ways: happiness is love, health, wealth, friendship, and many other aspects of our life. Not everybody considers himself happy because of many reasons. The main one is that we don’t have what we want and there is no way to get it. We cant be grateful for what we have just leave our desires behind and be happy, we always want more and more. The main reason of our unhappiness are we. Bent Wade, the man who had a hard life, full of hate and evil, knows what the happiness is and he is happy, he says Columbine that “For I've had a broken heart an' ruined life, an' yet I've lived on an' on, findin' happiness I never dreamed would come, fightin' or workin'. An' how I found the world beautiful, an' how I love the flowers an' hills an' wild things so well—that, just that would be enough to live for!... An' think, lass, of what a wonderful happiness will come to me in showin' all this to you.” So, what we see depends on how we are looking at it, and if you want to be happy just be without any excuses.
