Motherhood is a primary theme of the novel. Astrid struggles to define herself against her biological mother and her various foster mothers, while still searching for the love and acceptance her mother cannot provide from jail.[1] The art pieces Astrid creates at the end of the novel are metaphors for her various mothers and homes.[2]
The novel also deals with the nature of art; self-reflection and creation; survival of the fittest; and perfection versus imperfection.[3]
