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Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work.

The Experience of Coming of Age 

Fresh out of high school and living on her own for the first time, Grace attempts to figure out what she wants her future to look like. For a long time, she allows herself to walk along the path that her great-uncle set up for her and plans to take over his caning business even though her heart is never in it.  Grace is at a critical juncture in her emergence into adulthood—navigating her role in society as a woman, confronting her notions of romantic relationships, and assessing her limited economic opportunities. At first, everything goes exactly as she expects when Maury asks her out, falls in love with Grace, and pulls her into the orbit of his picture-perfect family. However, as she spends more time around the Traverses, Grace feels out of step with this new life the same way she did with the idea of taking over her great-uncle’s business. The more the facade of perfection falls away the more she realizes that there is no perfect path forward that will carry her to a place where she can be effortlessly happy. 

Grace comes to see that the members of the Travers family sacrifice their mental well-being for the sake of maintaining appearances, and she is not willing to do the same. Grace has these realizations as she swings on a children’s playground during sunset, metaphorically marking the end of her childhood. The story ends with Grace making a practical decision to accept Mr. Travers' money in lieu of the moral gesture of returning it, proving she has shed her naïve notions of love and life and is ready to make her own way in the world.

The Interconnectedness of Sexual Awakening and Self-Discovery 

An important part of Grace’s narrative is her sexual awakening, which helps her to understand who she is and what she wants. Grace is curious about sex and frustrated when Maury buys into societal notions about protecting her chastity, something Grace is not concerned about. Without the option to explore her sexuality, Grace is forced to confront the fact that the issues that lie between her and Maury are insurmountable. This conflict between her and Maury is part of the wedge between them that allows Grace to understand Maury doesn’t truly see her. 

Neil, in contrast to Maury, is a sexually exciting and taboo option as an older, married man. Grace’s attraction to Neil shows her that the societally acceptable path does not always align with her desires. The afternoon Grace spends with Neil is rife with sexual tension, but as Grace recognizes the pain in Neil she realizes that acting on the fantasy would be just as big of a mistake as marrying Maury. The denial of sexual fulfillment in both relationships, in their unique ways, teaches her about the nuances of intimacy. Ultimately, Grace’s desire for genuine intimacy leads to her disillusionment about marrying into the Travers family.

The Oppressive Nature of Gender Roles

Throughout the story, Grace repeatedly chafes against societally conscripted gender roles that force her to suppress her identity. The fact that Grace’s public school educators do not understand why a girl, particularly one who cannot afford college, would push herself academically is a source of immense frustration to her and also a source of shame. Grace has deeply internalized that she should want a traditional domestic life with a husband and children, and she is confused by the fact that she wants an education more than these things. The scene when Grace and Maury see Father of the Bride reveals Grace’s frustration that women are expected to be beautiful and brainless prizes to be won by men. 

As a result of these societal pressures, Grace struggles to articulate how this reality is so far from her desires and identity. Grace pursues a relationship with Maury because she wants to experience romance, and her disappointment in the relationship stems directly from the fact that Maury buys into toxic gender roles. Maury repeatedly dismisses Grace's feelings and puts her on a pedestal when he calls her special, says she’s not like other girls, turns down her sexual advances, and then assumes they will be married. Because he unquestioningly accepts patriarchal notions of womanhood, Maury fails to recognize that Grace is perhaps not unique at all and that many women feel the way Grace does. Ironically, Maury fails to see his mother struggle with the exact same things that Grace does, although it is perhaps what subconsciously draws him to Grace to begin with. In a particularly galling display of ignorance, he refers to his mother’s mental health issues as “female problems.” Maury, like his father, fails to recognize the oppressive nature of gender roles even in his closest relationships.

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