What are the motifs in Florida by Christine Schutt?

Loss is a recurring idea in the story. When she is 5 years old, Alice loses her father who mysteriously drowns. When she is 10 years old, Alice is separated from her mother who is sent to a mental asylum. At such a young age, loss of her parents is difficult for Alice. Young Alice clings to the memory of her father, and although she often expresses ambivalent feelings towards her mother as a caregiver, she admits that misses her mother dearly. Thus, Alice's losses as a child seem to bring out her dependence and neediness.