Themes

• First Love - Clara falls in love with the boy Nutcracker who later transforms into a human young man.
• Growing Up - Clara faces hardships and heartbreak after being deserted by the Nutcracker and has to rely on herself to make things happen.
• Adventure - Clara visits two different worlds, the Frozen Lake and Sweetieland, and meets new characters.
• Dreams - The magical worlds in the Nutcracker are often portrayed as dreams, and Clara dreams about a world far away from her orphanage.
• Contrast between reality and fantasy - Bourne contrasts the grim, dark orphanage scene in Act 1 scene 1 with the magical worlds Clara visits.
• • subject matter and themes are what make up the work and what it portrays to the audience.
  • Adolescent fantasy/sexual awakening/growing up
  • A quest (such as in all fairy tales in which the moral heart of the story faces a challenge)
  • Dreams / Escapism
  • Satire on cultural values and gender stereotypes
  • Intention is to a light-hearted family piece
  • Friendship and Love