Relationships between Mothers and Children

The relationship between a mother and her child is one of the novel’s central themes. In the narrative, there are different types of mother/child relationships. The biological connection, in which the child is actually born of the mother exists between Naomi / Mattie, Mattie / Samuel, Mattie / Jordan, and Ann / Lisbeth. There is also a non-biological relationship, in which the child is not born to the woman who fulfills the role of “mother.” The Mattie / Lisbeth relationship is the most notable example of this kind of relationship.

The narrative suggests that Lisbeth is mothered in the most important ways of affection, support, faith, compassion, and courage by Mattie, her non-biological mother. It also suggests that Ann, the mother who gave birth to Lisbeth, mothers her in the superficial, morally corrupt ways of the culture in which Lisbeth is being raised. For instance...