What is the theme in Bitter Fruit by Achmat Dangor?

Justice, retribution, revenge all make up an important theme in the story. Set in post-apartheid South Africa, Bitter Fruit explores how individuals deal with pasts that include violence and abuse. Inherent in this exploration are questions of guilt and innocence. When Silas encounters Du Boise, it forces the Ali family to confront Lydia's rape. In doing so, the characters each choose different paths in their quests to deal with or forget about the past. For years Lydia has wanted to confront what happened to her and talk to Silas about it.