The recurring motif of pigs, the slaughterhouse, and Francie's transformation into a "pig-boy." → The Abject Borderline
The recurring use of the dreamy, melancholic instrumental "Sleep Walk" by Santo & Johnny during scenes of both childhood innocence and impending horror. → Anempathetic Sound
Form & technique
The film's use of a dual voiceover: the young Francie and the older, institutionalized Francie. → The Unreliable Narrator
The surreal sequence where the atomic bomb explodes and Francie emerges from the rubble unharmed, laughing.
Francie's creation and framing of his own narrative, culminating in the murder of Mrs. Nugent.
Tropes
Francie's psychosis following his mother's suicide and his father's neglect.
Francie's violent acts directed towards the feminine (Mrs. Nugent) and his idolization of masculine American figures (cowboys, atomic bomb). → The Fragile Alpha
Francie's surreal visions of a foul-mouthed Virgin Mary. → The Carnivalesque
The film's nostalgic but sinister representation of 1960s Ireland, including references to the Cuban Missile Crisis and the influx of American pop culture.
The parallel between the breakdown of the Brady family and the global threat of the Cuban Missile Crisis.