Sexual freedom in the 1960s
The novel is mainly set in London in the 1960s when women came out strongly to determine their destinies and sexual freedoms. Burnet follows the story of the unnamed woman who makes independent decisions to investigate the conduct of Braithwaite over the suicide of her sister, his patient. The decision to investigate the therapist, the unnamed woman, strongly demonstrates that women were coming of age and could not leave anything to chance. For instance, the unnamed woman believes that her private investigation would save many women from undergoing what her sister went through.
Courage
The decision by the unnamed woman narrator to disguise herself as Rebecca to become Braithwaite's patient is an act of courage. The woman knew she was undertaking a dangerous exercise but executed her plan diligently and boldly without suspicion. Towards the end of her assignment, she congratulated herself for putting her life in danger for the sake of her fellow women.
Expectations
Veronica’s sister (an unnamed woman) expected something would be done to prevent future suicide incidents caused by reckless therapists. The unnamed woman believed that Braithwaite was responsible for Veronica's suicide. She disguised herself as Rebecca to prove her allegations and became Braithwaite's patient. She attended all her therapy sessions and ensured that she documented her experiences in five notebooks. Later, she handed over her notebooks to a stranger, expecting they would be published to expose rogue patients. Consequently, expectations emerge as a strong theme in the novel.
