The Need for Love

The need for love is at the heart of this story in several ways, beginning with Ed's relationship with his mother. Though she seems to care little for exhibiting affection for her sons and is readily willing to berate them, she seems to fully expect their complete love and devotion. She goes so far as to teach the boys that all women - with herself as the sole exception - are evil and wicked. She urges the boys to never allow themselves to be close to women and to never degrade themselves by having sex with a woman. While it's clear that Ed gets no real affection from his mother, he craves her approval, likely as the only form of love he believes is possible. He may not even realize that unconditional love exists. At one point, Ed recalls an event in which he was...