The mothers within All the Living are ever present in every facet of their sons’ lives. Preacher Bell’s mother is alive and well, controlling her son’s every move, be it a church matter or not. Orren’s mother is deceased, yet still controlling his life in a certain regard. The relationship between a mother and son is one that is of control in some way, and carries on even into the afterlife.
Bell’s mother is still living and exercising control over Bell’s actions throughout the novel. When Bell is directing the congregation to attend a church picnic, he looks to his mother for approval in the details of the plan. After telling everyone a time for the function he “looked down at his mother beside him and she nodded and he nodded too, looking into her eyes…” (118). He is asking for her approval. Throughout the novel, he is constantly looking to his mother for confirmation and a decision to be made for him. He has never married, and has never been gone from home too long, having returned to Hansonville after spending under a semester at a college in Lexington. As Bell begins to develop a friendship with Aloma, his mother constantly expresses her disapproval. After church one Sunday, he is speaking with Aloma when his mother interrupts from afar, saying “‘Bell, I need you’” (130). He is forced to walk away from his conversation with Aloma for seemingly no reason; his mother just wants him away from Aloma. Bell’s mother limits his interactions and keeps him away from relationship opportunities, platonic or otherwise. She exercises total control over her son.
Orren’s mother is dead, but still is able to control her son. After Aloma and Orren move into his parents’ old house, Emma’s presence is made known. As Aloma crawls into bed, she spots “a photograph of Emma with Orren’s father” on the dresser in their bedroom (24) and even acknowledges “the small alien power of the photograph” (26). All throughout the house are pictures of the deceased family, causing Orren to be constantly reminded of their passing. Although Orren is able to ignore the picture of his mother in his room and make love to his wife, the control is still present. Orren chooses to continue running the farm in memory of his deceased family; he feels an obligation to his mother who previously ran the farm on her own after her husband’s death. Her presence is still felt and he still has made a life decision based on her. While Orren can make certain decisions for himself, she still has ultimate reign over his life in a way.
Both sons are controlled by their mothers. This control manifests itself in different ways, but the mothers still affect their sons’ lives and serve as cornerstones from which their sons make decisions from. In life and in death, a mother and son are connected and codependent.
I really like your ideas and organization. I never realized how mothers could symbolize Bell and Orren’s characters and influence their lives, living or not. Their control can further add to the comparison of Bell and Orren as Aloma struggles to make a choice between the two men.
ReplyDeleteExpanding upon you idea, the motif of a mother figure can be further applied to Aloma. Aloma’s lack of a mother shows a lack of structure in her life and juxtaposes against Bell and Orren demonstrating how she makes her own decisions in life instead of relying upon her family for guidance. For example, Aloma choses to be a piano player, whereas Orren and Bell rely on their parents to dictate their adulthood profession. Without directly seeing a set path in life, Aloma chooses her own, taking inspiration from her piano teacher Mrs. Boyle who shows her that she can make a profession out of a passion.
In addition, Aloma’s lack of family demonstrates her differences with Orren and Bell. In the novel, Aloma also explains that she does not even miss her parents, explaining to Bell “I never even think about them. I don’t feel anything about it one way or the other way” (137). Her lack of emotion represents her misunderstanding of Orren and Bell, as she has never experienced a close figure in her life. It demonstrates how she is set up for failure with the two characters as they have little in common when it comes to past relationships.
The look at the mothers in this story is a very interesting comparison as it is an aspect of all of the character’s lives that unites and defines them in different ways. I think it is especially defining between Aloma and the two men in her life. Aloma does not remember even “a kiss or a scent or even any sentiment” of her mother, whereas both Bell and Orren have lives that are greatly shaped by the mother who cared for them for their whole existence (104). I believe Aloma’s lack of a mother figure in her life allowed her a certain type of freedom from any familiar expectations, but also kept her from developing both empathy and knowledge of day to day tasks necessary for a rural life in Kentucky. As Aloma and Orren spend more and more time together, their frustration with each other grows, causing Aloma to realize “she would never know him” (61). Though I do not suggest that her lack of a mother growing up caused their relationship to fail and be unsatisfactory for them both, I do believe that it created a distance for them that neither was motivated enough to cross.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your assessment that the mothers of the Bell and Orren dictate their actions. I had not really thought about this applying to Orren but it is evident throughout the novel in not allowing himself or Aloma to live in the new house. But the maternal presence is more evident with Bell as you explain through the approving nodes that he seeks from his mother. Bell’s mother really takes control of his life when she destroys his and Aloma’s friendship, as Aloma asks him who told her about her relationship with Orren, and his response is “Mother” (172). She has basically despised Aloma since see says “No” (94) to Aloma’s request for a pianist position, she didn’t even give Aloma a consideration.
ReplyDeleteWhile the mothers are controlling both Orren and Bell’s lives, Aloma’s lack of a mother also controls her life. She has no point of reference; no maternal mentor can influence her in the way that Orren and Bell are influenced. This has created a false sense of freedom. In her attempt to find someone to look up to, to idolize, she found Orren. And in doing so she has trapped herself, she believes that she can leave, but she never will.