Toronto, Mississippi Themes

Toronto, Mississippi Themes

Family Dynamics

The significance of the family unit emerges as one of the main themes in the entire text. Jhana is an eighteen-year-old girl with autism, and her condition is made worse by her absentee father. The father intentionally decides to pursue his passion at the expense of taking care of his family. The unity of the family is defined by care and love, but King is doing exactly the opposite. According to the author, a family can only stand when both parents are present to provide care and love for their children.

The complexity of love

Bill is secretly in love with Maddie, but he is afraid to face her and confess that he loves her. Maddie is King's ex-wife, and she is free to fall in love again. The complexity of love is a theme that cannot be ignored throughout the text. The paradox in this scenario is that Bill deeply loves Maddie, but he does not know how to approach her. Consequently, the feeling of love can be overwhelming if not expressed at the right time. For instance, Bill is overburdened with harboring love feelings for Maddie, making him miserable instead of making him happy.

The power of hope

Jhana suffers from autism, but that does not prevent her from working towards her goals. Similarly, despite having an absentee father, Jhana is determined to define her destiny and exploit her potential. For instance, Jhana is working at a workshop serving disabled people, and she does her best to improve the lives of the disabled. The paradox is that the people around Jhana who are perfectly healthy seem disappointing. For instance, Jhana is shocked when she sees people living without passion, objectives, and goals. Therefore, Jhana has promised herself to grasp any opportunity that comes her way to improve her life and that of the people she serves.

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