Themes+-+Good+Advice+is+Rarer+than+Rubies

One of the main themes of this short story is emigration in Pakistan. Many Pakistanis emigrate to England. England’s former colony still has not enough self confidence. Most Pakistanis see their future in Britain even though life in Pakistan can be good as well. Women give up their life, say farewell to their families, knowing that they maybe wont see them again, and not knowing how their further life. Miss Rhena does the opposite, she declines her "safe" future with an unknown man in England. Instead she stays in Pakistan with her family and her basic lifestyle.

The other main theme is women being dependent on men. In Pakistan it is tradition that the man rules in the family and the woman always follows him. That makes women completely dependent on their husband. Most girls even can not choose whom they will marry, often the parents choose a son in law when the girl is just a little kid. Miss Rhena is supposed to marry a man her parents have chosen for her and she does not know how he is, further if she marry him and goes with him to England she will be completely dependent on him. For Miss Rhena this marriage means the loose of her freedom. The fact shat she better stays in Pakistan, with her freedom than goes to the West and into the chains of marriage, makes her a modern thinking person. It seems a little bit ironic that Miss Rhena is more modern than these girls who go to the west, in that England is the expression of modern life.