The Mother · Question
How does The Mother develop the theme of Sin and Retribution?
Answer
The Mother by Pearl S. Buck develops Sin and Retribution across the chapters the companion marks for this theme.
The mother's adulterous affair and subsequent pregnancy are framed as a sin she believes brings divine punishment, manifesting in her daughter's blindness, her son's barren wife, and her own physical decline.
The act of covering the gods' eyes symbolizes the mother's awareness of transgression and her attempt to hide her sin.
The mother's adultery leads to a secret pregnancy, fear of discovery, and the townsman's cold rejection, which she sees as a form of payment for her transgression.
The mother's fear that her own sin has caused her daughter's blindness, and her struggle with guilt and the desire for atonement, dominate her thoughts and actions in this chapter.
Evidence in the book
- The Heat of Desire
The act of covering the gods' eyes symbolizes the mother's awareness of transgression and her attempt to hide her sin.
- The Unyielding Seed
The mother's adultery leads to a secret pregnancy, fear of discovery, and the townsman's cold rejection, which she sees as a form of payment for her transgression.
- XII
The mother's fear that her own sin has caused her daughter's blindness, and her struggle with guilt and the desire for atonement, dominate her thoughts and actions in this chapter.
- Chapter XVII
The mother believes her past sins—adultery, lies about her husband's death—are the cause of her misfortunes, including her daughter's death and her daughter-in-law's barrenness.
- XIX
The mother wonders if her past sins are being punished, but the birth of her grandson offers a sense of redemption.
