Family
Family, especially mother/daughter relationships are important throughout this play. Janet's nature makes her a cruel mother at times but there is evidently love between her and her daughter. This is shown at the beginning when she calms down after realizing she has hurt Helen's feelings and especially at the end, when Helen and Janet both confess in order to protect each other. Elspeth's relationship with Helen and Janet is also of importance. She helps them survive by giving them food and helps Helen escape at the end, showing kindness that could've potentially caused her own ruin. She also shares a deceptively tender moment with Janet right before she is burned, as they hurl insults at each other. These family relationships stand to show how people impact each other and where love and cruelty mix.
Examples
JANET. And can you fly in it? No. You've a head full of dry beans and a voice full of moaning like a wet wind. (Imitating) "There's no peat, there's no bread, there's stones in my bed..." If I hadn't pulled your head out of my body, I'd doubt you were mine.
JANET. Until you've the sense to know that, you're not fit to be let out of my sight. You'll stay here till you learn you're not fit for anyone within a hundred miles of here.
HELEN. William doesn't mind my hands...
JANET. Mind!? Why should he mind!? All he's thinking is they work well enough to push a hoe! If he saw you as you should be seen he'd never be thinking about your hands at all! Why are you so stupid you'll never learn that!? God, I wish I'd never dropped you out at all! Keeping me here, stuck in mud that can't even grow weed with no one to talk to but rocks and a daughter that's stupider than a lump of cow shite! Oh... my tongue's straight off the whetstone. I didn't mean it, pet. Come here. I'm sorry.
JANET. Elspeth Begg only loves you because she lost her own daughter.
HELEN. If you're looking for a witch, it's me. My mother's just a poor old soul. It's her pride that makes her think she's magic.
JANET. Look at her hands! Look at her feet! I've shoed her like an ugly little pony and ridden her through the sky!
ELSPETH. Take my name. Helen... listen... listen... sweetheart... This will save you.