Themes
Conflict -- There are at least three conflicts in The Time It Never Rained. In addition to Charlie's conflict with the land and nature during the drouth and with the government, Charlie is also in conflict with his friends. They turn against him when he refuses to accept the aid and thereby makes them look weak (Clayton, p. 43). And Charlie's refusal to serve on an arbitration board to try to ease the situation further alienates his friends, who see too late that Charlie is right.
Change -- The people in The Time It Never Rained and the world around them are constantly changing, and they must adjust to that change if they are to survive. "If there is a single thread which has run through most of my novels, it is probably the theme of change and the way people meet or resist that change," Kelton said.
Racial concerns -- Natural subject matter for West Texas, where white settlers displaced native Americans, learned to somewhat live in harmony with Mexican-Americans and tolerated the black Americans who dared venture there. Kelton creates characters with racial attitudes appropriate in the time and place in which they live. Charlie likes the Mexicans he knows and treats them fairly.
Voice -- An elusive subject, but here best described as a wry humor that is characteristic of West Texas and the author himself (Alter, p. 97). Full of idioms and figures of speech from his West Texas background ("the law is as blind as a one-eyed mule in a root cellar"). Evident to any who talk with him because it seems to come naturally.
Women, sex and violence -- Staples of most Western fiction writing, but rare in Kelton's novels. Because West Texas is essentially masculine, and ranching is essentially a masculine occupation, women are not major characters. Kelton's cowboys held traditional views of women. Morality plays a significant role, and sex and violence are not used to keep the reader's interest. They are there only as a naturally occurring part of life.
The Land -- The harsh nature of the land and of life on the frontier is a major theme. "People tend to forget that those rainy years are the exception," Kelton says. "The dry years are the rule."
