What is the main theme in the novel, Venus Envy?

Brown's major theme in this novel consists of an expose and criticism of the social norms and expectations which trap people into acting contrary to their true nature, and thus prevent them from achieving fulfillment and happiness. The institution of marriage takes a beating in this novel, as all the people who are married are desperately unhappy and trapped by convention into living with a person they no longer love. The only really positive portrayal of marriage is given as a retrospective by Ruru, who is now a widow and thus able to defy social convention in ways which the other female protagonists cannot. The mute assumption of heterosexual identity is another convention that Brown deplores, and through Frazier, the main protagonist of the novel, Brown explores the concept of the importance of personal integrity juxtaposed against the prospect of great personal loss. In Frazier's case, personal integrity is the act of coming out as a gay person, and the losses she faces are demonstrated through the repercussions this act has on herself, her family, her friends and her community.