What is the big idea or what the author is trying to teach about life with this novel?

The element of desire is the undercurrent running throughout the entire novel. Initially, the desire takes shape in Maria's girlhood dreams of finding the right man to marry and raise a family. Maria wants to have what everyone else, including her parents, has—a family unit, which is the core of Latin society. As Maria grows up, she learns that she is different from her friends and other women in that she has the desire to travel, learn new things, and see if the world may have more to offer. When Maria reaches young womanhood she is disappointed with life in her small town, and she yearns for any type of adventure.