Scales 1

Brhea Scales
Professor Blair
University Writing 1104
24 October 2016
Love Like No Other
Tillie Olsen said, more than in any other human relationship, overwhelming more,
motherhood means being instantly interruptible, responsive, and responsible. Many of us have a
predetermined idea of what a good mother details. Subconsciously that creates a bias to what
qualities are viewed good or bad. Does the style of parenting change depending on the child as
an individual? Throughout the series of pieces, you notice the mothers concerns and questioning
of her parenting, good or bad, verses effective or ineffective. Thompson shows the mother is
intrinsically motivated by love. There is no doubt that in this mother daughter relationship love is
a present factor, but the actual relationship seems to be missing. The lack of foundation of a
relationship with the daughter, constant disrespect, and allowance for such behavior to continue
supports the mother having parenting style that is highly ineffective.
Motherhood is the combination of characteristics or qualities that form an individuals
distinctive character. For eighteen years, a parent takes on the responsibility to raise a child and
pass on the best qualities they know possible to develop a good human being. From the nine
poems Thompson defines the home environment to be nothing but ordinary. It is a stable
household that exerts great love and care, but there is no firm grasp to the concept of a
relationship. Magnolia takes the setting in April, when the pink blooms flood through the
moonlight as the mother and daughter lay in bed to such a mystical sight. It marked the
beginning of something when she was young (Thompson, 5). That beginning to a precious
relationship did not last long. She doesnt need food or any of the things it has been my life
works to provide (Thompson, 19). In At Sixteen brings about the change that leads to a
distant relationship. By the time she left home it was dead (Thompson, 13), and just like that a
tried developing relationship passed.

Scales 2
Love and affection are concepts children grasp easy, and at such a young age. She took
the coins without touching my palm and disappeared (Thompson, 5). This quote from The
Visit shows how no affection is in existence between the mother and daughter. In all the
mothers efforts, she gathers all [she] could dredge from the bottom of [her] purse (Thompson,
1). The mother did all in her nature to provide and be a supporting factor throughout the
daughters life. The setting of The Visit puts the situation of conflict at an official college open
house; here the mother is once again loving and shows she cares by being present and
supportive, but allows the daughter to behave any which way she desire. The daughter also
shows disrespect to tradition as she rebels from the family value of Christmas. She reminds me,
she may not come home for Christmas at all (Thompson, 20). The way communication is
dialoged shows no respect, on account of the daughter, unfortunately some things never change.
The mother should feel most accountable for the outcome of her daughter. Thursdays
were the tail end of a bleak affair, when words lost all but their capacity to wound (Thompson,
10). She created an environment with little to no communication. The daughter had to
opportunity to learn right from wrong because in the eyes of the mother it is better to be in its
thrall than cast out my own (Thompson, 19). Whether the mother admits to being the founder of
the monster she created, it is true that the qualities a parent presents to child is what they instill;
for that reason, the daughter is nothing more than a created monster. The mother reflects, I
should have done what my mother did, I should have rubbed soap into the carpet of her tongue,
but I didnt (Thompson, 23). That is the source of the issue; the tolerance to behaviors the
daughter expressed deserved consequence. So furious and blessed was [she] to have [her
daughter] in [her] sight (Thompson, 31), in which it is that furious blessing that prevented the
mother from acting upon disapproval of behavior. The mothers care was soft and needed to be
strengthened to enforce rules, and expectations to ultimately result in respect.
In closing, Letty Cottin Pogrebin said, we mothers are learning to mark our mothering
success by our daughters lengthening flight. I see this to be true. Although, Thompson had
conflict with the daughter there are common scenarios seen in all parent child relationships. Her
parenting style was nothing unfamiliar to society. There are many parents that care, but do not
act upon this expression. Although ineffective, her love as a mother will forever endure.