# Mother — Darkwater character guide

> Mother in Darkwater by W. E. B. Du Bois.

**Role:** minor

**Also known as:** Mother

**First appearance:** 0004-i-the-shadow-of-years

## Who they are

The narrator's mother, a figure in his personal history.

## Relationships

### [The Woman](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/darkwater_se/characters/the_woman)

_family_

A maternal bond tinged with protectiveness and shared grief over the narrator's fate.

### [The Woman](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/darkwater_se/characters/the_woman)

_family_

A maternal bond tinged with protectiveness and shared grief over the narrator's fate.

## In the story

### [I: The Shadow of Years](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/darkwater_se/chapters/i-the-shadow-of-years)

Mentioned as living with the narrator until her death in 1884.

### [The Servant in the House](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/darkwater_se/chapters/v-the-servant-in-the-house)

Du Bois's mother spent five or more years as a menial servant, shaping his intimate understanding of domestic service.

### [The Damnation of Women](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/darkwater_se/chapters/vii-the-damnation-of-women)

Referenced as the source of the race's strength; the 'mother-idea' is central to the chapter.

### [VIII: The Immortal Child](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/darkwater_se/chapters/viii-the-immortal-child)

Referenced as the parent who must gently explain racial realities to her child, guiding them through the veil of race consciousness.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/darkwater_se/characters/mother
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/darkwater_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/darkwater_se/characters