Sabbath's Theater

What are the motifs in Sabbath's Theater by Philip Roth?

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Escapism is a recurring idea. Mickey Sabbath is an escape artist the likes of whom we haven't seen since Houdini. However, unlike Houdini, Sabbath is escaping love, responsibility and even life itself. Sex is Sabbath's primary means of escapism. It is his panacea against the world's ills. Sabbath finds self-esteem by losing himself in carnal pleasure. He is powerless in his life, but the conquest of women makes him feel powerful. Ironically, Sabbath is only powerless because he has never attempted to take control of himself. He doesn't try to clean up any of the messes he has created. Instead, he simply escapes it all.