The social experience
This novel is essentially a social novel, which means that the core of its meaning is derived from the characters in the plot and how they behave in company with one another, what their community is like, and what becomes of their various decisions to trust each other. We see elements of community that are healthy and unhealthy, like the enjoyment of fun which often brings people together, but in a continual part that is ethically unsustainable. We see complications arising from deceit and romantic attachment.
Alcohol and fun
Alcohol is a central part of the book's thrust because of Sir Condy who depends on the drug to have a nice time. That might sound innocent, but the novel shows it to be quite horrifying in private reality. Although he seems like he is a fun-loving person to his community, Sir Condy's alcoholism is in fact a serious illness that eventually kills him, and the fun-loving aspect of his personality is shown to be a secret kind of deflection so that he can indulge in his vice without being socially repugnant.
Community and gender
Gender is one of the key aspects of a community's culture, because together, the men and women agree to abide by certain behaviors. In this novel, we see that there is competition in the community, especially sexual competition, and people in the novel interact with that competitive domain in various ways. This poses a risk to the community because of women like Judy who believes herself to be noble and good, but who is secretly lying about her integrity; she secretly only cares about money and power. This is not a comment against women in the book, but rather, it points at the imbalance of power: Judy only craves money and power because she is chronically subjected to men who tend to mistreat her.
Religion and rules
Another major force in the novel is the way religious imagery makes its way into the lives of the cast. The religion is both concrete and abstract, and there is a spectrum of credence among the community. The religion is concrete in the literal rules of the Jewish community, for instance, which often make concrete imagery in their lives through costume and behavioral obedience, and it is abstract, because the religion refers to life's mysteries which are abstract. Also, the various communal responses to religion and organized religion in particular are very insightful, because it is proof that different personalities have different responses to religion.
