The film centers on a non-cisnormative experience, focusing on a protagonist who performs masculinity to survive. This approach treats gender as a performative necessity rather than a fixed category, disrupting heteronormative expectations.

The narrative subverts traditional hierarchies by showing how women were economically disenfranchised. It critiques patriarchal structures by illustrating how performing gender becomes a vital tool for socioeconomic survival.

Set in 19th-century Dublin, the cast reflects the homogeneous ethnicity of the period's Irish working class. The film uses class, rather than ethnic variety, as its primary lens for social stratification.

The story critiques the intersection of capitalism and rigid social morality. It portrays the era's economic systems as oppressive forces that necessitate deception for the sake of basic stability.

The film does not feature characters whose primary arcs are defined by physical or neurodivergent disabilities. It focuses instead on the psychological strain of identity concealment.