rieda. They do not bloom, just as the child of incest is never born, but the real root of the sisters' character is shown clearly in the opening chapter. Here the vaguely defined figure of their mother is shown to be the source of what is good in them.
Morrison masterfully refrains from any idealization of the mother, and she is described by Claudia from the vantage point of her childhood--without a great deal of interference by the adult 'self' who is narrating her portions of the book. This is beautifully done as their mother is introduced in the midst of her impatience over Claudia's illness. Her rough, seemingly indifferent, treatment of the child is shown, however, to reflect her own worries about the pressures of the world rather than any dislike of her daughter. Her impatience is not unreasonable since, she believes, Claudia could have avoided illness by wearing a hat. And the child's despair at her other's anger--which she believes at the time is directed toward herself rather than her illness--is relieved only by her sister's kindne
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