“Bedknobs and Broomsticks” (1971): The possible motivation of Miss Price.

Throughout the film, even in the very beginning of her character’s introduction, Eglantine Price. Like many other British at that time during the Blitz, she is very passionate about the war effort and about defeating Germany. As well as defending her home country of Great Britain. The only difference between her, and your “normal civilian” is that our character Miss Price chooses to use …..witchcraft.

Because could there have been something deeper, more personal, hidden in the motivations of Miss Price? Why was she so eager to help in a way that obviously nobody else could? The answer can actually be given with a few very subtle clues in a few scenes.

Firstly, in the scene when Miss Price is first introduced to us, General Teagler, of the old home guard mentions to the captain from HQ that he once served with Miss Price’s late father. Telling us that Price’s father was in the military.

Secondly, in the scene where Miss Price shows the children the room in which they can sleep in at her house (her father’s old room). You can clearly see a portrait of her father on the wall in military uniform. Also if you look more carefully in the room you will see her fathers officer’s saber, as well as a World War I era style British helmet.

Miss Price later dons these in the final battle against the Germans while flying her broomstick.

The theory is this;

That her father was an officer during World War I. You have to be a little bit more familiar with British history in that particular era. As a result of World War I, the British lost what many were considered to be an entire generation of people. Leaving many victims, family members, even survivors with extreme emotional as well as some physical trauma.

So if Miss Price’s father was a survivor during World War I, he may have been suffering from some form of survivor’s guilt. Many mental issues and even going into dangerous habits such as drug addiction were unfortunately very common for survivors of the battlefront. It’s possible that Miss Price, in the last years of her father’s life, slowly saw the man that she loved and respected turn into somebody that she didn’t even know.

This may also explain her attitude as the film begins in learning her witchcraft, about how reluctant she is to kind of open up to other people in this case the children that have been sent to stay with her.