One particularly present theme is Man's inhumanity to man and their innate ability to fear what they do not understand. Euchrid is constantly under siege from those who perceive difference as a threat. The only other character to see Euchrid as something more than a dumb beast is Beth (and to a certain extent, her mother). Though Beth is taken into the fold by the Ukulites, she too is different from the rest. There is a strange transference of thought throughout the novel; her difference is seen by the community as godly, while Beth sees Euchrid as godly. Another theme presented in the novel is the beauty of things perceived as ugly. In an interview with director Lindzee Smith, Cave revealed, “The things that are ugly are supposed to be ugly. I’d hate to think the book was only about ugly things. It’s about innocence as well ––the beauty in that. There’s a cartoon image to many of the characters––Beth, who I see as the idealized young girl, perfect and innocent, seen through the obsessive eyes of Euchrid.”