The War
The background motif of this seemingly lighthearted middle grade novel is Vietnam War and the Cold War between the USA and the Soviet Union. There are news articles and broadcasts about the war and the death of soldiers, as well as the fear of nuclear attacks, which is particularly shown with the implementation of drills in the school in the case of a bombing. The war tension if shown in the classroom where the young Vietnamese student is discriminated against and insulted as more and more news of death tolls in Vietnam is revealed. The novel also ends with a soldier miraculously surviving and coming home.
Shakespeare's plays
Shakespeare's plays are the main allegorical vessels in the novel. As Holling reads through the plays, the events from his life somehow seem to allegorically match up with the events of the play, and he draws conclusions about the messages from the play mirroring his own life events. For instance, while he reads "Romeo and Juliet", he is also in the middle of his own love story with his classmate, and while reading "Hamlet", his sister leaves home to find herself, only for her to realize that it's alright to be found by someone who loves her, like her brother.
Sweet Strawberries
The novel ends with Mrs. Baker's students together with her, holding sweet strawberries and standing on the airport waiting for Lieutenant Baker to come back home. The strawberries are a symbol of their love and hope during terrible times.
