* Nostalgia and the romanticization of the past: The characters cling to memories of a seemingly idyllic past at Old Willis Place, ignoring or downplaying the realities of that time.
* The limitations and disappointments of life: The story highlights the gap between youthful dreams and the often mundane or tragic nature of adult life.
* The power of memory and its subjective nature: Memories are shown to be selectively recalled and shaped by individual perspectives, often creating a distorted view of the past.
* The struggle for identity and belonging: The characters grapple with their place in the world and their relationship to their family history and the old plantation.
* The changing South: The story subtly hints at the social and economic shifts occurring in the post-Civil War South, impacting the characters' lives and their connection to the past.
While other themes like family relationships and the complexities of love might be present, they largely serve to illustrate the overarching theme of the conflict between idealized memories and the present reality.