Themes and message

The main themes explored in the story “The Christmas Tin” by Amanda Craig are motherhood, identity, and perceptions of war.

Overall, the story speaks about an identity crisis experienced by the main character – a middle-aged woman who dedicated her life to her children, but who does not know how to connect with them now that they are adolescents. At the same time, the story deals with various perceptions of war and soldiers.

Motherhood and identity

The themes of motherhood and identity are strongly connected throughout the story.

The theme of motherhood is introduced as we learn that Polly wanted to replace the sweets tin at home because it was scratched by her children’s hands. Later in the story, we learn that her children’s hands would also cling onto her and that they often demanded her full attention. The story suggests that this prevented her from building a career, which introduces the theme of identity. Throughout the story, it is suggested that Polly does not have an identity outside her family, as for many years she only fulfilled her role as a mother.

At the time of the story, Polly is aware that she is ageing and that her ...