THEMES - THEME ANALYSIS

Forgiveness

Forgiveness is the most important theme. Throughout the unfolding of the memoir, each character must come to grips with the concept of forgiving each other. Mom and Dad neglected their children in so many ways and should be punished, but their children also need to understand that forgiveness is for themselves as well for their parents. As long as they harbor bitterness in their hearts for how they were raised, they will never find the contentment they deserve. Lori and Jeannette are the two........

Sometimes the most mature and responsible people in a family can be the children, not the parents

Another theme tells us that sometimes the most mature and responsible people in a family can be the children, not the parents. All of the Walls siblings must learn how to take care of themselves and as a result, they have a........

Fearlessness and Loyalty

Fearlessness and loyalty are two traits that the Walls children soon learn they must assimilate. They are children and should be.......

Lost Dreams

The last theme involves lost dreams. The family, especially Rex, has always dreamed of the day when they.........

The complete study guide is currently available as a downloadable PDF, RTF, or MS Word DOC file from the PinkMonkey MonkeyNotes download store. The complete study guide contains summaries and notes for all of the chapters; detailed analysis of the themes, plot structure, and characters; important quotations and analysis; detailed analysis of symbolism, motifs, and imagery; a key facts summary; detailed analysis of the use of foreshadowing and irony; a multiple-choice quiz, and suggested book report ideas and essay topics.