Homosexuality

The central theme of the novel is homosexuality, as it is the common trait that unites the five major characters together, providing them with the necessary unity and trust to visit Polonio together despite hardly knowing one another. The primary conflict of the novel is between the women and their society, which socially disdains homosexuality on top of literally making it illegal under the military dictatorship of the 1970s. In the first part of the novel, the women attempt to resolve or abate the conflict by literally retreating from the city of Montevideo to the rural coastal village of Cabo Polonio. The retreat not only bonds the women together as an emotional unit, but also provides incredible catharsis, especially in the case of then-lovers Anita and Flaca, at being able to display their love in the literal light of day for the first time:‌ “[Flaca] had...