What are the motifs in The Man Who Loved Clowns by June Rae Wood?

Underestimation is a recurring idea. Throughout most of Punky's life, people have underestimated what he could do, including his own family. There are few people who believed Punky could succeed in an independent life, and those who did, like Aunt Queenie, are villainized in the novel for trying to send Punky away to the town's sheltered workshop, where handicapped adults work and find a sense of community.