A major theme in the work is the struggle for equality. Racism and the fight for equal rights has been a constant theme in literature, and is especially present in literature of marginalized writers (women, ethnic minorities) emerging during the Harlem Renaissance (1920's), the Black Arts Movement, the Civil Rights era, and beyond.
The main "lesson" taught by the work is that racism is a flawed concept. One example of this (though certainly not the only example in the book) can be found in the development of the character of Lily. Lily is challenged by racism throughout the piece, but she ultimately moves past her own mistaken perceptions to accept that difference is not always a negative thing. She starts the novel believing that all black people are uneducated, but when that idea is challenged when she meets and comes to know Boatwright she must revise that opinion. That is her "lesson learned" in the work.
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