Betrayal

The main theme of "Gorilla, My Love," and the thread that ties the two sections of the story together, is the idea of betrayal. Specifically, Hazel comes to believe that adults, who should have children's best interests at heart, cannot in fact be trusted to tell the truth where children are concerned. In the middle section of the story, which comes first chronologically, Hazel has already learned that "Grownups figure they can treat you just anyhow. Which burns me up." She demands her money back from the theater because "I get so tired grownups messin over kids just cause they little and can't take em to court." But she does not have in mind the adult members of her own family. They have taught her to be truthful and to hold people to their word. As Granddaddy Vale puts it, "if that's what I said, then that's it...