Religion as dividing
One of the main reasons why the characters fight among one another is religion. There are two important religious groups in the town where the action takes place and each group fights for supremacy. The religious leaders are responsible in part for the violence which takes place in the play and because of this religion is portrayed here as being extremely divisive and even dangerous.
Blind justice
Justice is not painted in a positive manner here but rather as being extremely arbitrary and as having the power to destroy a person's life without the person really is guilty. For example, one character named Mrs. Dilcile insists she testifies against Jim even though she was not present in person at the fight and only heard about it from other people. Because of her testimony, a man's life is destroyed and he is forced to leave town. Thus, justice is not described here as having the power to save a person's life but rather to destroy it.
Women as the root of all evil
The most beautiful character in the play is Daisy, a woman almost every male character wants to seduce and conquer. Because of her, the main male characters fight against one another and are even willing to kill each other while the other women who are not noticed by the men are jealous and bitter, harboring hate both towards Daisy and towards the men who love her. Women are not presented in a positive light but rather are seen as dangerous creatures who only serve to cause pain and divide the people around them.
The mule bone
The action revolves around the mule bone, the instrument used in a fight between the main characters. The bone is described in the beginning as a simple tool, something without power and without any importance. As the play progresses, this bone becomes more and more important until the court no longer focuses on the people involved in the fight but rather on the fate of the bone. The image of the bone is important because it is used here as a visual representation of the drift which accrued between the characters and the problems which arose as a result.
