Sister, the narrator of “Why I Live at the P.O. is a very resentful, bitter and jealous character in this short story. She has many reasons to act as she does. Her family consists of four people who do not seem to be very sane. Her mother seems to be constantly taking up for her sister, Stella-Rondo.
Connie thinks unkindly of her mother and sister. She believes her mother’s “looks were gone” and decides this is her mother’s motivation for picking on her (623). A clue to Connie’s fate is inserted by Oates when Connie’s mother mentions the “Pettinger girl” (625). The meaning is elusive, but it suggests something bad happened to the Pettinger girl. Connie’s father is an insignificant figure whose existence is almost unnoticeable.
When the family moved to Shanghai to live with her the children found out that she was an evil wicked stepmother. She would shout, beat up and abuse her stepchildren and always make sure that Adeline the unwanted child was left out in everything they did. When Adeline and her family moved to the wealthy Niag’s house, she enrolled all the siblings into expensive schools. Adeline went to a private one called Sheng Xin School. From the very first day she loved her school.
After the incident of her mother taken away from her she drastically became a whole another person. At her new foster home Antonia wasn't as nice as she once was. Antonia was rather rude to her foster parents Tillie and Luis. She was open minded and caring before but once she was brought into the new foster family it was as if she had lost these character traits. She still showed love to her mother and brothers but she still boxed out the foster parents who have treating her as a princess.
The Women of Waknuk The Chrysalids by John Wyndham illustrates women differently towards their husbands, and their family members. Women in Waknuk are pressured to be perfect. Most likely women like Elias Strorm’s wife, who was a beautiful young lady. Elias Strorm’s strict ways turned his wife into a withered, grey woman, who was almost glad to die one year after David’s father was born. This explains that such a society stifles life.
Firstly, Stella is always being pushed around by her sister Blanche. Blanche is always asking her to do things for her like a servant. For example, in the book Stella is always doing things for Blanche like going to get her a coke from the store, getting her hot baths ready, and getting her clothes for her. It should really be Blanche doing those things for Stella, since she is pregnant and a guest in her house. Also, Blanche is always rudely telling Stella how she lives is wrong and constantly criticizing her relationship with Stanley.
(Thesis) Dolores Haze, better known as HH has named her, Lolita, grew up in a broken home with a distant mother. Charlotte, her mother, was removed and cold to her daughter. She saw Dolores as a rival for men’s affection and was quick to belittle her in order to feel secure in her position as woman of the house. So at an early age, Lo was picking up on the fact that her mother thought her attractive enough and possibly sensual enough to be in competition with other women, specifically her own mother. Girls “play” at sexuality starts at a young age with games such as “I’ll show you mine if you show me yours” or “Doctor”.
Her psychological trauma begins with the brutality of the way her first daughter was taken away to die. “She was not prepared for what happened last time… Kavita felt her budding joy give away to confusion. She tried to speak, to articulate something from her thoughts swirling in her head” (page 6-7). This quote shows that she was at first happy with the birth of her first child, but her confusion of the moment left her with no response. She could only admire her child and she could not understand why her husband could not see
The Cousin Obed Ramotswe’s cousin had a good influence on Precious Ramatswe. Throughout the novel we learn how strong their relationship was and how the cousin helped her to develop. The cousin was married, but when her husband found out she could not have children they divorced. She went to live with her mother in a very small three-walled room. Her mother was very disappointed in her and treated her without respect or caring.
Maggie was very uneasy around her sister; her mother tells her anxiousness in regard to Dee’s visitation: “Maggie will be nervous until after her sister goes: she will stand hopelessly in corners, homely and ashamed of the burn scars down her arms and legs, eyeing her sister with a mixture of envy and awe” (119). Dee undermines her sister, not always knowing what type of impact she impresses upon Maggie. Dee does not appreciate her sister or her mother, both of which is barely educated and lives in a poor, dilapidated home. In fact, Dee had her own way of making this noticeable in one instance when she stood off in the distance while their first home burned down with her mother and sister inside (121). She does not feel comfortable taking on the old fashioned lifestyle her mother and sister do.