The 'Whole' Novel (REVISED)

The novel as a whole is mostly about war. It is about the gruesome, horrible, sad, and miserable parts of war. The parts that are usually left out and untold of, the parts that we are not proud of as Canadians. It explains what happens to those who have to kill in war. How soldiers of war are changed physically, mentally, and spiritually. Everyone's experience in war is different. Everyone deals with war in different ways, and justifies their actions however they can, that is if they feel their actions can be justified. Boyden pulls all this together and it become a huge theme in the novel. 
Friendship is also a big theme in the novel. The friendship between Xavier and Elijah, Niska and Xavier and Niska and Elijah (we read of this friendship in a flashback), Elijah and the other solders, Xavier and the other solders, even the boys and the land. How the war ruined it and made it ugly. 
I feel morphine is an important theme but its not as important as many people think. Morphine is the killer in the novel, its the addiction, in ways it is the hope, its what takes the pain away, its what keeps you alive and un worried. Its a sign of disgust and sadness and disappointment but also a sign of hope and future. None of us were in the war so who are we to say that morphine is a killer and is super bad. It gave many men of the soldiers bravery which saved our country. 
Lust and desire between Xavier and Lissette and Niska and the French man I also feel is an important theme. Xavier falls for someone undeserving of his love such as his aunt had years ago. Its a theme that we read many times, different interactions between Niksa and the French man and also between Xavier and Lissette. Being wanted, loved and touched is something that all humans at one point or another crave in their lives, unfortunately for Niska and Xavier it ended badly.
Home. I feel home is the center of this novel. Elijah and Xavier are good at snipping and hunting because of home. Home is where they want to go, where they want to be. Home is the center of their lives its one happy thing, the one happy place that they remember.  

In conclusion I think the main themes of the novel are war, friendship, love and home.