Leonie is an awful mother, but what led her to be one? It appears in the beginning she did try to be a good mother to Jojo however sometimes the book doesn't clearly state when or how Leonie just gave up. It could have been due to two main events in her life. One is when she started to do drugs and the other might be because of the past trauma of losing her older brother Given. But even if those were the reason it does not excuse her behavior towards her children.
I don't think the drugs Leonie did change her outlook on her life and children. She started to do drugs because she felt like a failure for her children because she couldn't take good care of them as she hoped for so she started to do drugs to cope with that. The only way the drugs really affected her was when she started to see Given, however, we don't know if she is seeing Given due to the drugs she's on or the gift she might possibly possess, we don't know.
I don't believe the negligence of her children is due to losing her brother either. Since she lost her brother she doesn't really mention him nor does it bother her that she is in love with the cousin of her brother's murder. But then again there is the whole thing about not passing on the father's sin to the child argument that could be made. Since Given lost his life at a young age I don't understand why Leonie doesn't want to have a closer relationship with her own child and keep him safe when she still can.
I think the reason she doesn't like her children is because she's just a bad person, even if she never did drugs or lost her brother I don't think she'll ever be a good mother. What kind of mother enjoys bullying their own child? Leonie said "It feels good to be mean, to speak past the baby I can't hit and let that anger touch another" (Ward P.147). Leonie is just one messed up person, and yet she wants to have another kid to rise correctly even though she can start now with the two kids she already has.
I really do agree with you that Leonie is an awful mother. This is such a big element in the book that shapes not only the children, but also Leonie’s relationship with her parents. My feelings for Leonie have been back and forth. There are points where I feel for her because of what she has been through, but there’s also points where I very much dislike her because she is not even putting in effort to be a good mom, but rather trying to be bad. There is one part of the book that sticks with me that makes me feel for her. It is when she explains her nightmare about drowning with the boat and consistently trying to keep her children afloat, but it is just not working. I feel like this reflects on the fact that there are times where she truly does care for her children, but nothing that she does works because of her past mistakes, making it too little too late. Also, I agree with you in the fact that it is neither drugs, nor Given’s death that is what influences her to be a bad mother. She has exhibited experiences where she is simply just straight up mean, and throughout the book I feel that the drugs and Given’s death haven’t been too influential on her decisions, other than some stupid ones from the drugs.
ReplyDeleteI also have to agree that at the end of the day, Leonie is an awful mother all around. Ward makes Leonie's treatment towards her children a crucial subject throughout the book, especially from Leonie's point of view. I'd agree with both statements you made that Given's death and drugs are not the reasons that develop Leonie into a bad mother. Leonie started taking drugs after the fact she was a bad mother, which makes it not the case, it could possibly make it worse due to her spending money on drugs instead of water for her son, but it is not the cause for her actions. Furthermore, Leonie states that she would keep the kids to always have a part of Michael around. I believe this is the root of the cause. Leonie never wanted kids in the first place. She never wanted to love and nurture HER kids. She just wanted the kids to have another part of Michael around who she is obsessed with.
ReplyDeleteWe do see glimpses, through Leonie's chapters, that she does indeed want to be a better mother, but those thoughts never lead to actions which I don't understand. It is never too late to form a bond with her children, but I do not believe being a better mother is that important to her. Instead, this helplessness that she isn't a good mother transforms to anger against her kids. I believe who she is as a person, does not allow her to be a good mother.
Neither the drugs, nor Given's is the cause of her being a bad mother. I believe Leonie did not have the right mindset coming into motherhood and did not have her priorities straight to be a loving, caring mother to her kids. Her personality and reasons for having kids was the cause in her inept motherhood.
I think branding Leonie as a bad person is an interesting take. While valid, the perspective the reader sees on Leonie's life is a post-Given time when Michael is, for the most part, gone and she is riddled with poverty. Leonie's life is not a walk in the park; growing up in Mississippi, her brother dying at the hands of white men (sore losers), her early exposure to drugs, and the only person who has ever been able to guide her, her mom, on her deathbed, are, in my opinion, solid excuses for being a bad person. While nothing can justify her treatment towards her children that she bore by choice, they can excuse it.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, we see Leonie's through process in the book. We see that she regrets her actions and wishes she could improve her life or change her situation. Often, she has flashes of realization where she panics for a second about her actions and her cruel treatment of her kids, but she then resorts to drugs, as drugs are easier than fixing problems. Drug addiction is one of Leonie's main downfalls. Whenever she is nearing doing something heartfelt or even simply something that a person probably should do, she often sinks back into the illusion of drugs. This is not to say that she is a bad person, as I think that suggests intention behind her acts. Rather, I think her avid drug addiction, poverty, and trauma lead to her neglect. Her intention, however, is obviously not in hurting her children. While she often directs her anger to Jojo or Kayla, she does this for lack of other option. She knows she is a horrendous mother, and I think that is part of what motivates her to continue. She is jealous of Jojo and Kayla's bond; she knows that she could never have that with either of them. Thus, she gives up.