THEMES

Major

The central theme of the novel is the value of having dignity, courage, and love in the face of adversity. This theme comes across through the characters of the boy, Mother, and Sounder.

Almost as important as the main theme of the novel is the secondary theme of alienation and loneliness endured by black people as a result of discrimination against them. They were treated as second-class citizens and forced into a life of humiliation and poverty by their white employers and neighbors.

MOOD

The mood of the novel is mostly depressing, with a sense of loneliness and suppressed pain throughout. The cruelties inflicted on blacks by the white community greatly contribute to the depressing atmosphere.

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