Themes

As has come to be expected of Conroy, he examines themes of family, marriage, religion, social status, Southern culture, sibling and parental relationships, and the interdependence of spiritual, mental and physical health.

Most of all, he emphasizes storytelling itself.

The rich culture of the South acts as a backdrop for a modern drama in which characters enact roles seemingly shaped for them. Savannah's psychosis, in which she is literally haunted by personalities and events from her past, acts as a center for the various mental and spiritual problems suffered by all the Wingos. The novel showcases the varying abilities of the human psyche to adapt to the worst of conditions; some manage to emerge unscathed, others reach near-destruction.

Tom is caught between the various roles the South demands that its males play. His father expects the sons to be tough and is harsh in his discipline when Tom...