One of the most noticeable thematic elements in "What I Have Been Doing Lately" is that of reality versus fantasy. The narration begins with the narrator in bed, which perhaps indicates that the story is a fantastical dream. Indeed, it contains many elements that support such an interpretation, including a landscape that changes as the narrator passes through it and the detail that years passed as the narrator waited on the banks of the body of water. The dreamlike quality of this story has been noticed by many of its reviewers.
Another strong theme in "What I Have Been Doing Lately" is that of loss and longing. At the end of the story, the narrator wishes she were home, with her mother or anyone she loved. More clearly, she states,.....
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