Lucy wanted to succeed along with her brothers and the other males of Antigua. However, the home culture has placed a restraint on women's occupations. Jamaica stresses that Lucy has a different worldview because of her British education. She had to learn about things that did not apply to her beliefs as a citizen of Antigua. In a way, the British molded her thoughts and lifestyle at a young age.
Sexuality is a prevalent theme throughout the novel.
Lucy uses her sexuality as a tool used to gain power. Jamaica Kincaid uses her own experiences of the power struggle between gender roles to emphasize this conflict found in the women from Antigua. It is male domination that leads Lucy to a life of sexual promiscuity and using people to get what satisfies her. At the beginning of the novel, Lucy has a sexual relationship with a boy named Tanner. This scene in the book symbolizes that Lucy forces herself to dominate over Tanner.