Mother/Son relationship

[Brenda Creech]

The author places a lot of emphasis on his relationship with his mother, especially as he was growing up. I believe his mother was a special person, from his descriptions. However, I wonder if some of the things he tells about his mother's affection toward him were maybe an embellishment of the facts. For example, how he would wake up at night and find her "standing by his bed, looking at him adoringly." He only mentions his siblings briefly, and rightfully so since it is his memoir, but he doesn't share whether his mother was just as affectionate with them as she was with him. It sounded to me like he was the only thing she focused on! I wonder if his siblings ever awoke during the night and found her "looking adoringly" at them? I just thought it was a relationship too good to be true! What are your thoughts?

[Gabrielle Sigaki]

Indeed, there are some aspects that seem to be too good to be true. Besides, thinking that his mother was so kind and affable it's hard to think that she would only care for him and not for his siblings. Maybe he saw his mother standing by his bed one time and thought that it could be a good image to illustrate her kindness. It's something hard to explain though.

[Brenda Creech]

Indeed, there are some aspects that seem to be too good to be true. Besides, thinking that his mother was so kind and affable it's hard to think that she would only care for him and not for his siblings. Maybe he saw his mother standing by his bed one time and thought that it could be a good image to illustrate her kindness. It's something hard to explain though.

That's true. I am sure she was a loving mother to all of her children. And the author is, in fact, telling his own story so he is remembering it as HE saw it, not as his siblings might have remembered it, so you make great points!

[Suzer6440 xyz]

He saw only his relationship., not his siblings. Hard to explain . His mother seemed to be very caring but then again we only see it from his point of view.

[Suzer6440 xyz]

Theauthors mother seemed to be very caring but then again we only see it from his point of view. He doesn’t seem to include many memories of his siblings. However, As I read, I do think he had a good relationship with his mother. I enjoyed this book and i recommend it.

[Betty Gitonga]

I don't think that it was too good a relationship to be real. His mother may have been more fond of him, seeing as he was the only surviving son. Of course, since the story is completely from his viewpoint, it seems like she loved him more. But, as shown by her dying request for him to look after his sisters, she loved the other girls. All in all, I believe their relationship is a lovely representation of a relationship between mother and son.

[Jennifer Garcia 555]

His mother seemed like a very good and caring mother. After losing his brothers she may just be more protective of him. They seem to have a very close relationship. It is clear that he deeply loved his mother.

[zainherb]

The author places a lot of emphasis on his relationship with his mother, especially as he was growing up. I believe his mother was a special person, from his descriptions. However, I wonder if some of the things he tells about his mother's affection toward him were maybe an embellishment of the facts. For example, how he would wake up at night and find her "standing by his bed, looking at him adoringly." He only mentions his siblings briefly, and rightfully so since it is his memoir, but he doesn't share whether his mother was just as affectionate with them as she was with him. It sounded to me like he was the only thing she focused on! I wonder if his siblings ever awoke during the night and found her "looking adoringly" at them? I just thought it was a relationship too good to be true! What are your thoughts?

I understand what you mean as there is the tendency sometimes for people to look at the past more fondly that it was especially with regards to someone they love.
However, I think the portrayal of his relationship with his mother is believable. I have woken up many times in the middle of the night when I was younger to find my mother checking up on me, adjusting my blanket or whatever. Also, I have heard the same narrations from some of my friends as well. Yet, here mothers aren't known to be overly affectionate in our customs. It is easy to believed that his mother would do this is a place where it is the custom for mothers to be outwarldly affectionate.
Also, if she is great with his, it is only to be expected that she would be great towards his siblings as well.

[Brenda Creech]

The author places a lot of emphasis on his relationship with his mother, especially as he was growing up. I believe his mother was a special person, from his descriptions. However, I wonder if some of the things he tells about his mother's affection toward him were maybe an embellishment of the facts. For example, how he would wake up at night and find her "standing by his bed, looking at him adoringly." He only mentions his siblings briefly, and rightfully so since it is his memoir, but he doesn't share whether his mother was just as affectionate with them as she was with him. It sounded to me like he was the only thing she focused on! I wonder if his siblings ever awoke during the night and found her "looking adoringly" at them? I just thought it was a relationship too good to be true! What are your thoughts?

I understand what you mean as there is the tendency sometimes for people to look at the past more fondly that it was especially with regards to someone they love.
However, I think the portrayal of his relationship with his mother is believable. I have woken up many times in the middle of the night when I was younger to find my mother checking up on me, adjusting my blanket or whatever. Also, I have heard the same narrations from some of my friends as well. Yet, here mothers aren't known to be overly affectionate in our customs. It is easy to believed that his mother would do this is a place where it is the custom for mothers to be outwarldly affectionate.
Also, if she is great with his, it is only to be expected that she would be great towards his siblings as well.

Yes, I can agree with what you said. As a mother myself, I often checked on both of my children during the night. I just felt the adoration was a little overdone, but the author was writing it from his own point of view, and it must have been very special to him that his mother would do that!

[Saint Bruno]

I get your point. But I think most mothers love all their kids though some have favorites. I also think that the author is trying to reach out to his audience on a personal level and how he perceived his mother's love toward him.

[Vine Michael]

I do think it's possible. Throughout my childhood I spent every night with my mother and when I finally moved to my bed she'd still come at night to check on me. Mothers are very amazing humans. I believe his mother showed his siblings how much she loved them in other ways.

[Kasun Perera]

I think he wanted to give some extra credit to his mother. I am pretty sure that his mother was an amazing woman, and he had raised such a wonderful kid. But he could not have been her only focus. So he might have used a little exaggeration when describing how he found her standing at his bedside at night when he suddenly woke up

[Menace Crypto]

I think that the mother probably had similar love for others. But, since this is the author's memoir, he's writing from his point of view. Which is exactly how he saw her actions and affections from his own end.

[Gbemisola Akinremi]

I believe his description of his mother's kindness is from his own point of view, how he saw things from his own side. Perhaps his mother standing by his bed ,looking at him adoringly was a one time scene he never lost memory of, and may have subsequently imagined she was always doing it.

[RachelEmmanuel]

The author places a lot of emphasis on his relationship with his mother, especially as he was growing up. I believe his mother was a special person, from his descriptions. However, I wonder if some of the things he tells about his mother's affection toward him were maybe an embellishment of the facts. For example, how he would wake up at night and find her "standing by his bed, looking at him adoringly." He only mentions his siblings briefly, and rightfully so since it is his memoir, but he doesn't share whether his mother was just as affectionate with them as she was with him. It sounded to me like he was the only thing she focused on! I wonder if his siblings ever awoke during the night and found her "looking adoringly" at them? I just thought it was a relationship too good to be true! What are your thoughts?

I understand what you mean as there is the tendency sometimes for people to look at the past more fondly that it was especially with regards to someone they love.
However, I think the portrayal of his relationship with his mother is believable. I have woken up many times in the middle of the night when I was younger to find my mother checking up on me, adjusting my blanket or whatever. Also, I have heard the same narrations from some of my friends as well. Yet, here mothers aren't known to be overly affectionate in our customs. It is easy to believed that his mother would do this is a place where it is the custom for mothers to be outwarldly affectionate.
Also, if she is great with his, it is only to be expected that she would be great towards his siblings as well.

Yes, I can agree with what you said. As a mother myself, I often checked on both of my children during the night. I just felt the adoration was a little overdone, but the author was writing it from his own point of view, and it must have been very special to him that his mother would do that!

I agree. I've done the same with both my children and I remember my mother watching me, staying up all night praying when I was sick. don't think it's possible to judge another person's parent-child relationship.