What is the theme in The Bottle Factory Outing by Beryl Bainbridge?

Loneliness is a theme in the story. It is apparent from the very beginning that Brenda is very lonely. She has a withdrawn personality and has given up on finding happiness. Her abusive husband, Stanley, did not provide her with comfort or support, so she found the courage to leave him in the country to come live in the city. She is living in London, but we see that this is not a life, just a means of survival. She gets money from her parents, who live far away. She works at the factory, doing her menial job day in and day out. She is not close to any of her co-workers and gets more attention than she wants from Rossi. Her life with Freda is uncomfortable and the two women rarely get along. After Freda's death, Brenda is so lonely and lost that she even attempts to go back to her abusive alcoholic husband.