The story, "Paradise," centers on the emotional growth of a woman who has fallen in love with a callous and flawed man. The most prominent theme in the story is the dynamics between men and women, especially during the period of courtship. In this case, she is the one courting him since she is in love with him, but he doesn't seem as interested in her. He is emotionally-detached and sees her as secondary to his hobbies and friends.

Another theme is metamorphosis. The protagonist starts out as a hopeless romantic and is submissive to his desires. She even tries to please his friends because she recognizes their importance to the man. However, after her suicide attempt, she is resurrected—literally and figuratively—and liberates herself from the emotional burdens she has endured.

The title of the story is possibly a reference to the biblical paradise, The Garden of Eden, and the woman represents Eve liberating herself from the authoritarianism of God and the secondary-citizen status in relation to Adam. Additionally, when she left the "paradise" and back to London, which represents the real world, she left the illusions of paradise as well, including the false representations of love.