Lucy also joins the tradition of American immigration literature, tales that recount a newcomer's experience in the United States, such as those seen in Anzia Yezierska’s "Bread Givers", Willa Cather’s "My Ántonia", and Julia Alvarez’s "How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents". Along with exploring immigration, "Lucy", as does much of Kincaid's work, grapples with tensions between mother and daughter. Colonial themes of identity confusion and the connection between maternal and imperial rule stand out less clearly in "Lucy" than in Kincaid's earlier books but have an underlying presence in Lucy's relationship with her white, affluent employers, her homeland, and her new surroundings.