Motherhood

The novel portrays motherhood as the ultimate aspiration for any woman. The mothers throughout the novel give varying depictions of motherhood, but they all show the typical traits associated with the word. They are compassionate, feminine, emotion-driven, and the decision makers. Every woman in the novel must come to their own understanding of themselves as a mother-figure.

Catherine, Mei’s mom, Kara’s mom, and Ben’s mom all have the same typical approach to motherhood. They check in with their kids, they worry often, and they want to help. But Mei, Sara, and to some extent Ben spend the novel learning what kind of mother-figure they want to be. Mei takes on the role of compassionate, emotion-driven femininity. She wants to help, but she follows her gut. Sara is searching for a role model for her motherhood and finds none. Instead, she becomes the decision-making...