The theme of family
The theme of family is dominant throughout the text because the author explores the lives of Mr. McPherson's family. The novel opens with Mr. McPherson's funeral, where all his three children and Mrs. McPherson are present. The reader learns that the three children present are already grown-ups with their own families. However, their spouses are not present due to unavoidable circumstances.
The narrator also takes readers back on memory lane when the three siblings lived on the farm with their parents. However, the children never loved staying on the farm because the father was strict. However, the children appreciate that they have come from far to where they have reached today as a family. Consequently, the theme of family is significant in this novel because the children have come to comfort their mother, who is now a widower.
Greediness
Greediness is one of the primary themes the narrator focuses on discussing. While the three siblings are discussing their mother's future, they are also doing a cost analysis to see if taking their mother in can be profitable. For instance, the children are looking at the amount of money they will inherit from their father's estate and the cost of caring for their mother. Therefore, these three children are greedy because they are only ready to take care of the mother as long as they inherit enough money to take care of her. When Mrs. McPherson realizes that her children are debating on how much it will cost them to take care of her, she decides live on her own and uses her late husband's wealth to explore the world and have fun.
The theme of grief
Grief is one of the major themes in the novel. The novel opens with a somber tone and disheartening mood. The siblings are here to bid farewell to their father, who has been lifted to glory. Mrs. McPherson is in sorrow because her husband is dead, and she will have to adjust to life as a widow for the rest of her life. The three siblings have traveled far to grieve and console their mother. Therefore, the setting of this novel depicts the theme of grief because every family member is sad. According to Mrs. McPherson, the only way she can get over her grief is to travel the world and visit different places to occupy her brain with new people and places.
