Any certain novel may contain a number of different themes and general major ideas. The theme of a story conveys the idea of the author, but it is not usually clearly stated in the novel. Many times, critics disagree on the general intention of the theme. The critics of Animal Dreams have conflicting opinions on the theme of the story because of the events, ideas, and relationships that have different effects on the novel and the overall idea it portrays.
One viable theme is the importance of relationships among women. According to Sherry Lee Linkon, .
Animal Dreams has a main theme of the importance of women's relationships with each other and states how several other women authors with a contemporary writing style have dealt with connections and trials between women in their own works of fiction (3). .
In Animal Dreams, Codi Noline has strong relationships with many women. Codi and her sister, Hallie, were very close before Hallie moved to Nicaragua and eventually died there. For example, when Hallie moves from their Tucson home to the uncivilized South American country, Codi is so distraught and does not know how to live without her younger sister. As said by Codi, "Our home fell apart when she [Hallie] left- (Kingsolver 10). Because of Codi's inability to live in Tucson without her sister, she moves back to Grace, Arizona, her hometown. Presently in Grace, Codi is involved with a sewing circle, and although the women are older, she is close with many of them. Codi is more educated than most of the women in Grace, yet she still shares one love with all of them "a love of their small town. Emilina Domingos, Codi's best friend from high school with whom she now lives, has a great relationship with Codi and they are together often while Codi is living with her. After Codi's first day of teaching high school biology, Emelina is the one who listens to Codi's experience with teenagers.