The short stories "Loverboys," "Sufficing," "The Red Convertible," and "The Buddies" have a unified theme in that the characters all feel the sorrow of powerlessness. One feels this powerlessness as a gay person, one as an immigrant, one as a soldier, and one as a manual laborer. All of them are in a minority group or they are vulnerable members of the society. In "Loverboys," the narrator and her loverboy were broken up because of prejudices and negative attitude that majority group (heterosexual people) have. Then, in "Sufficing," the narrator, an immigrant woman is in conflicts between her daughter because she is different with other American mothers who are in majority group. Furthermore, in "The Red Convertible," Henry, the victim of war, is vulnerable member of society who suffers from mental anguish. Lastly, the laborers of "The Buddies" are also vulnerable members whose rights are not protected.