What are the motifs in Friend of My Youth: Stories by Alice Munro?

Betrayal and lies is a recurring idea. In this collection, Alice Munro explores a variety of different types of betrayal and the reasons for them. Most obvious are the cheating wives and husbands, who are often shown as seeking something beyond their marriage. This is not necessarily a purely physical thing. For Brenda in Five Points, it has become almost spiritual, like a ritual that must be carried out in order for her to live.