The artist uses the innocence and moral purity associated with children to reflect on society, emphasising its flaws and inequalities. Banksy typically juxtaposes imagery of childhood, with their closely related ideals of purity and nostalgia, with sombre and depressing themes of war, political conflict, and mass monitoring. In this way, the gentleness of the child's image conveys a more strong and provocative message. Viewers of Girl with Balloon are moved to tears by the small child's death. At the same time, her outstretched hand represents a strong and laudable desire for something better. As a result, the image has become a universal emblem of hope.
Such themes connect Banksy's art to the 1956 French film Le ballon rouge (The Red Shoes).