Devotion

Devotion to people, religion, causes, and ideals is a key theme in the novel.

Most of the characters in the novel are devoted to their families. In the Piper family, James' devotion leads him to take a job at the colliery, which he has promised his mother he would never do. Mercedes' devotion leads her to sacrifice her college education in order to ensure Frances and Lily are taken care of. Lily's devotion is probably the most grounded of all the Pipers, because she is able to accept the truth without passing judgment. Adelaide Taylor is willing to kill Frances for the sake of keeping her own family together, yet it is Teresa's devotion that actually leads to Frances being shot. The Mahmoud family might not seem devoted to each other, based on Mr. Mahmoud's disinheritance of Materia. He does however give money to James so that Kathleen...