Breathing Lessons | Themes

Breathing Lessons Themes

Family

The central theme of Tyler's novel is the dynamic of modern American families. Within that theme, Tyler focuses on the fact that an individual's initial sense of identity derives from his or her relationship with his or her family. For Tyler, the family acts as force on an individual, in both positive and negative ways. In Breathing Lessons, each character has an individual interpretation of the concept of family that coincides with their understanding of their own identity. For example, Ira feels trapped by his family to the point where he felt that "his sisters' hands dragged him down the way drowning victims drag down whoever tries to rescue them." This view of the family extends from Ira's perception of himself as someone cheated out of his dreams. One of those dreams is that a family is loving, loud, boisterous, and fun. Ira's view of his own family as a...
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