What is the theme in Lust by Susan Minot?

One of Minot's major themes is the gradual disintegration and devaluation of women's souls as they progress from childhood into puberty. As a child, the protagonist had non-sexual characteristics on which to base her self-esteem. Yet this sense of selfconfidence erodes as the protagonist reaches puberty. She explains later that I could do some things well . . . But the second a boy put his arm around me, I forget about wanting to do anything else, which felt like a relief at first until it became like sinking into a muck.