Thornton Wilder said the purpose of the book was to pose the question.. “Is there a direction and meaning in lives beyond the individual’s own will?”

In my life I’ve known many people who no matter how hard they push in one direction they seem to end at the opposite direction, so I find this question as hard to answer as (Why are we here?)

The more interesting feature to the book is the lesson you learn about love. The Marquesa loves her daughter Clara so much but receives none back. To love and not be loved back is a most terrible feeling and no matter how much love you have for someone you can’t change them.