Monday, February 10, 2014
Kimball Post Two
Jack's mother, Mrs. Murrell, seems to get power and satisfaction from holding all the men in her life close to her before they go, substituting their 'love' in for Jack's, once he left home. After Jack's father was gone, Jack asked his mother why he left her, to which she responded, "'Because he didn't love Mother. That's why he went away'" (p.160). Jack tells his mother that he'll "'love her always'" and she says, in a tone that could be interpreted either as foreboding or loving, "'Yes, son, yes, you love your Mother...'" (p.160). She has a weird infatuation with her son, perhaps because he's the only man that has consistently stayed in her life. She even goes as far as to force him to lay down on her lap. Jack describes the odd situation: "I lay on my back, with my head on her lap, the way I had known I would do. She let her left hand lie on my chest, the thumb and forefinger holding, and revolving back and forth, a button on my shirt, and her right hand on my forehead...There were steps in the hall. I knew that it was Theodore Murrell, and started to heave up again. But even now, just for the last instant, she pressed her palm down on my forehead, and didn't let go until the sound of Theodore's steps had entered the room" (p.158). Mrs. Murrell seems to almost want to flaunt her and her son's relationship to Theodore and show him the love between the two of them. Jack's mother had gone through many men before Theodore, showing that she has a hard time committing to a single husband, but once Jack enters the house she can hardly leave him for a moment. This shows that she is trying to find a love equal to that of her and her sons, but sadly hasn't reached her goal of doing so. Instead she goes from man to man, trying out different guys, striving to find one to satisfy her need for constant love and affection.
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Jack's mother's loneliness is very apparent in her overall mannerisms and speech. She wants to love her son unconditionally, but seems to not want to make a mistake that will push him away. The result of this is a very awkward and emotionless relationship between them. "She kept looking at me, not saying anything, with that look which always said, 'You've got something I need, something I've got to have,' and said too, 'I've got something for you, I won't tell you what, not yet, but I've got something for you, too.' The hollow in the cheeks: the hungry business. The glittering eyes: the promising business. And both at the same time. It was quite a trick" (157). Just the pure silence and strange conversation convey the distinct essence of a lost and lonely person. Her son is grown, yet she still treats him like a child. Jack doesn't fight it, for he seems to recognize her dilemma and wants to help. But there is, and always will be, a certain distance present to their relationship. "Her hands were always cool. It was one of the first things I remembered ever knowing" (157). Although this seems like a mere description, reading it in context a second time seems to prove the isolation that Jack feels. The cold hands represent a cold upbringing, one that is riddled with anything but love. The problems obviously started when Jack was a little kid, and his mother has only magnified and contributed to them over the years with her mannerisms. As Dani said, "she has a weird infatuation with her son because he is the only man in her life," but this obsession only makes for an unhealthy relationship.
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