Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Milkweed, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Identity and Relationships
War, Dehumanization, and Innocence
Ingenuity, Resilience, and Survival
Family
Summary
Analysis
The first thing Stopthief remembers is running, clutching a loaf of bread to his chest. Someone is chasing him, shouting, “Stop! Thief!” Sometimes, this memory comes to him as a dream in the middle of the day. He never sees who’s chasing him, and he never remembers eating the bread.
Running and stealing are central to Stopthief’s identity—to the extent that he’s actually named after these activities. Though it’s not yet clear why he engages in this behavior, the fact that the novel begins with this vignette indicates that it’s foundational to Stopthief’s sense of self.
Themes
