What are the main ideas/themes of the book "Out of Africa" by Isak Dinesen?

Question

Sorry to post again - wasn't clear the first time. I'm not sure what the main ideas are; it just seems to me like her experiences. Help? Thanks!

Answer 1

Sansa Arya Jaime Brandon "Bran" Brienne Cersei Jon Samwell "Sam" Meera Jojen Rickon Davos Stannis Melisandre Cleos Loras Margaery Sandor Tyrion Gendry warm Pie Catelyn Robb Brynden Tywin

Answer 2

Works
The Hermits (1907, published in a Danish journal under the name Osceola)
The Ploughman (1907, published in a Danish journal under the name Osceola)
The de Cats Family (1909, published in Tilskueren)
The Revenge of Truth (1926, published in Denmark)
Seven Gothic Tales (1934 in USA, 1935 in Denmark)
Out of Africa (1937 in Denmark and England, 1938 in USA)
Winter's Tales (1942)
The Angelic Avengers (1947)
Last Tales (1957)
Anecdotes of Destiny (1958)
Shadows on the Grass (1960 in England and Denmark, 1961 in USA)
Ehrengard (posthumous 1963, USA)
Carnival: Entertainments and Posthumous Tales (posthumous 1977, USA)
Daguerreotypes and Other Essays (posthumous 1979, USA)
On Modern Marriage and Other Observations (posthumous 1986, USA)
Letters from Africa, 1914 – 1931 (posthumous 1981, USA)
Karen Blixen i Danmark: Breve 1931 – 1962 (posthumous 1996, Denmark)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isak_Dinesen

Life as a writer
She returned to Denmark and began writing in earnest. Her first book, Seven Gothic Tales was published, under the pseudonym of ‘Isak Dinesen’, in US in 1934. This first book, highly enigmatic and metaphoric than 'Gothic', won great recognition, and further publication of the book in UK and Denmark followed. Her second book, now the best known among her other ones, was Out of Africa published in 1937, and the success established a firm reputation for her as an author. She was awarded the Tagea Brandt Rejselegat in 1939.

During World War II, when Denmark was occupied by the Nazis, Blixen started to write her only full-length novel, the introspective The Angelic Avengers, under another pseudonym 'Pierre Andrezel', which was published in 1944. The horrors experienced by the young heroines were interpreted as an allegory of Nazism.

Her writing during most of the 1940s and 1950s consisted of tales in the storytelling tradition. The most famous is Babette's Feast, about an old cook, who has not been able to show her true skills, until she has an opportunity at a celebration. The surprise ending takes the story into the realm of fairy tales. An Immortal Story, in which an elderly man tries to buy youth, was adapted onto the screen by Orson Welles in 1968.

Her 'tales' take not only the traditional style of storytelling, but also (most of them) actually take place against the periodical background of 19th century or even before. For the reason of this deliberate 'old-fashioned' taste, Blixen mentioned in several interviews that she wanted to express the spirit that does not exist in modern time any longer; sense of destiny and courage. Indeed, many of her ideas, eloquently yet mysteriously expressed in her stories, can be traced back to those of the Romanticism. For those who want to understand of Blixen’s concept of art of story, ‘Cardinal’s First Tale’ from her fifth book ‘Last Tales’ would probably make the most direct reference in author’s own words.

Though Danish, Blixen wrote her books in English and then translated her work into her native tongue. Her English had unusual beauty, great skill, and precision. (Blixen's later books usually appeared simultaneously in both Danish and English). As an author, she kept her public image as a charismatic, mysterious, old ‘Baroness’ with insightful third eye (which is, again, in classical tradition of a storyteller), and established herself as, if not of the main stream, an inspiring figure in Danish culture. She was widely respected by her contemporaries, such as Ernest Hemingway and Truman Capote, and during her tour to US in 1959, the list of writers who paid visit includes Arthur Miller, E.E. Cummings and Pearl Buck. Blixen was nominated for Nobel Prize twice in 1954 and 1957.

Throughout the 1950s Blixen's health deteriorated (in 1955 she had a third of her stomach removed due to an ulcer), and writing became impossible although she did do several radio broadcasts. Unable to eat, Blixen died in 1962 at Rungsted, her family's estate, at the age of 76, apparently of malnutrition. Some of her works, including tales previously removed from earlier collections and essays she wrote for various occasions, were published posthumously.

Karen, the suburb of Nairobi, where Blixen made her home and operated her coffee plantation, was named after her. It is there that there is a Karen Blixen Coffee House and Museum, set in her former home.