Human Nature

The narrative often functions as an exploration of human nature through the lenses of kindness versus cruelty, and the figure of Mama Strong functions as a representation of humanity’s capacity for evil. Mama Strong is a consistently cruel and wholly evil figure in the story, but her motivations are never explicitly clear. She seems to be driven towards evil for evil’s sake, or possibly out of a desire to secure her own position as one of power and domination over others. When Norah first arrives at the facility, mama Strong says, “Now I am your mother. But not like your other mother. Two things different. One: I don’t love you. Two: when I tell you what to do, you do it” (4). These statements establish Mama Strong’s self-appointed position of authoritarianism, and her following actions demonstrate her fidelity towards cruelty and domination...