Themes in Poppies

Themes in Poppies

1. Effects of Conflict

   • The mother feels detached from her son before he leaves to go to war and after his death
     • Jane Wier implies that when someone you love goes to war it makes you feel like you have been separated for life away from the person because your first instinct is that they are going to die or be severely injured
     • 'the gelled blackthorns of your hair'
       • 'Blackthorns'
         • This is a reference to the bible where on Good Friday, Jesus wore a crown of thorns and was nailed a cross because he sacrificed himself for Christians.
           • This paints an image that the mothers son sacrificed his life to save others but his mother disapproves as she knows and foreshadows at the end that he is gonna die

2. Loss and Absence

3. Memory

4. Identitiy