Thematic Concerns
The plot is structured around the physical and mental deterioration of Aurora as she suffers anorexia and her weight drops throughout the novel. However, the novel does not limit itself to exploration of the illness. Rather, Aurora's experience is used by Barnes as a lens to explore more broadly the effect of modern Australian middle class society on the female psyche and body image. This is shown through the novel's frequent references to advertising, television, magazines and the comments of men. It is also echoed through the stories of related characters. For instance, Web expresses revulsion at femininity, including her menstruation, bras, sexual relations (particularly her sister's but also Aurora's interest in boys), and mothering (both her aunt who she rejects, and her own mother, who she pretends is dead). Aurora's mother insists on maintaining her relationship with her new boyfriend Gary rather than be alone, even when it compromises her relationship with her daughter and son, and, like Aurora, has an unhealthy relationship with food. Aurora's schoolmate Pseu is prone to self-harm and as well as her fixation with suicide is concerned with the opinions of boys, including strangers on the train. Thus, the novel can be seen as a study of constructed female identity rather than a novel 'about anorexia'.
Read more about this topic: Killing Aurora
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