Abuse and its consequences
The main theme in the story "Sweat’’ is domestic abuse and the effect it can have on a person. The character who is abused in the story is Delia, who has to suffer every day at the hands of her husband. Delia is someone who cared deeply about those around her and she does everything she can to make sure everyone is happy. Ironically, no one else cares about her and instead of trying to take care of her, they try to make her life as miserable as possible. The story analyzes a darker side when it comes to abuse, highlighting how some people may refuse to leave their abuser simply because they are afraid how they will navigate the outside world. This is true in Delia’s case who, despite being perfectly capable of taking care of herself, choses to remain by her husband’s side and dealing with the abuse thrown at her by him.
The seducing power of money
The main theme in the story "The Gilded Six-Bits’’ represent presenting the way through which money can influence and change people. The person who is seduced by the power money imposes is Missie May, Joe’s wife. She is seduced by Otis’s money and as a result, agrees to sleep with him. When Joe discovers her betrayal, Missie May claims she only did it to gain money for herself and for her husband. What is shocking about this situation is the fact that Missie May and Joe had a happy and loving marriage, thus Joe giving Missie May no reason to cheat on him. Also, the author makes it clear that Joe was more than capable of providing for his family but the desire to have more was what eventually pushed Missie May to cheat on her husband.
The power of dreams
The story entitled "John Redding Goes to Sea’’ recalls a young boy’s dreams of one day reaching the sea. John is trapped inside enclosed space, a forest which pushed upon the young boy’s dreams to the point where he feels he is suffocating. To escape this, John develops the habit of spending time by the river and sending out twigs as if they were ships. When those twigs get caught in the weeds on the river bank, John becomes enraged and starts scolding the weeds. The desire to escape his home in the middle of the forest only grows as time passes on and becomes slowly his only reason for living and continuing to put up with his harsh life. The narrator transmits through this the idea that dreams, no matter how wild they may appear, can help a person navigate even the harshest of times.
