The film focuses entirely on a heterosexual adulterous affair. There are no depictions of same-sex intimacy or non-cisnormative identities.

Thérèse is a central figure who pursues emotional and sexual autonomy. The narrative deconstructs patriarchal marriage by making her desires the primary plot driver.

The cast is homogeneous, reflecting the 19th-century Parisian setting. There is no evidence of intentional racial diversity or race-bent casting.

The film replaces traditional Christian morality with naturalist determinism. It portrays the bourgeois family unit as a site of entrapment rather than stability.

Psychological deterioration is treated as a thematic element of guilt. No specific, identifiable disabilities are represented or used as plot devices.