One literary element which has an extensive impact on the reader is theme. Theme is the main idea in which why the author may have chose to write the story. Although there is more than one theme present, there is one theme that is eminent compared to other additional themes. The theme that Thompson portrayed was that the people who are closest to one and one interacts with the most has an increased chance to betray one at one 's weakest points. One of the ways Thompson chose to expose the theme is through a large amount of conflict. The mother of Roy Dillon, Lilly Dillon, was an immense part of the conflict. Lilly Dillon was never much of a mother to Roy Dillon, Lilly would Jim Thompson uses a wide variety of literary elements that are superior