# His Mother — Diverging Roads character guide

> His Mother in Diverging Roads by Rose Wilder Lane.

**Role:** supporting

**First appearance:** 0001-diverging-roads

## Snapshot

The widowed mother whose dwindling money and sacrifice for her son's schooling compel him to take the job that ends his romance on the bridge.

## Who they are

Though never seen directly, she is the force behind her son's departure: her money is nearly gone, she spent much putting him through school, and he feels he must support her. That obligation hardens his jaw and turns a night of tears into a goodbye, leaving the girl behind in the cold. She matters because her unseen need is the practical weight that breaks the young couple apart and sets the story's pattern of duty against desire.

## Relationships

### [Paul](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/diverging_roads_se/characters/paul)

_family_

His Mother is Paul's parent, with a strong familial bond evident from their frequent contact.

### [Paul](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/diverging_roads_se/characters/paul)

_family_

His Mother is Paul's parent, with a strong familial bond evident from their frequent contact.

### [Paul](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/diverging_roads_se/characters/paul)

_family_

His Mother is Paul's parent, with a strong familial bond evident from their frequent contact.

## In the story

### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/diverging_roads_se/chapters/i)

Paul's mother is a brisk, neat woman who calls him for wood, interrupting the intimate moment between Paul and Helen.

### [XXIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/diverging_roads_se/chapters/xxiii)

Paul's mother is mentioned as staying at Mrs. Chester's and accompanying Helen during the afternoon.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/diverging_roads_se/characters/his_mother
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/diverging_roads_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/diverging_roads_se/characters