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| "Mother and Child" (ca. 1980-1990) by Lin Fengmian |
The narrator says waiting with her mother to see the doctor when she had cancer reminded her of the times when she was "waiting in those hair salons as a kid, waiting for my mother to be restored to some livelier version of herself" (124).
What is the impact of the narrator's story of her mother’s cancer and the role she played for her as a caretaker?
How does this shape her narrative and the narrative generally?
The narrative changes because the roles reverse. Her mother is the caretaker and takes her along to the hair salon, then she is the one taking her mother to the doctor and taking on that role. They are still together as mother and daughter but time has made changes to their responsibilites.
ReplyDeleteI feel as the author was able to take the role her mother played and expand on it. It makes the author more aware of her own battle with cancer. This role reversal adds depth to the narrative and shows how relationships can evolve as we grow older.
-crissi tubbesing
DeleteIn this part of the book, a role shift can be seen. When the narrator once tagged along to the hair salon with her mother, she was the one waiting while her mother was assisted. Now, the roles are reversed and the mother can be found tagging a long. It shows how things can change overtime, and the parallels that can occur throughout one's life. In this instance, I found it very heartbreaking. The mother who once brought her kid along to her appointments, is now tagging alongside her daughter to a v very different type of appointment. Growing up brings change for not only yourself, but also to those who were there watching you grow up.
ReplyDeleteI think there is a deep sadness often in times like these. Everyone wants to be strong for each other and at the same time everyone’s heart is hurting not just for each other, but for the much bigger picture outside of the waiting room. Even the strongest faith and hope don’t allow a person to wait in a room like that pain free. I think it’s interesting that her memories take her back to her childhood in these moments.
ReplyDeleteThe importance of the impact is its showing a big realization moment for the narrator. When she was a child she used to accompany her mother and hope and wait for her to come out more restored and better. Which is why she attributes it to the salon as it's a simpler way to look at it without the seriousness behind it. However now she can understand truly what it felt like being her mother as she now has to experience what her mother went through. As for how it affects the narrative I think it gives more depth as it shows how she comes to understand her battle with cancer more thoroughly through her memories and experience with her mother.
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