Winnie as a Mother

The relationship between Pearl and Winnie has unraveled itself as I read further into the book.  At first I was introduced with the stereotypical overbearing, foreign mother who starts her phone calls in mid-argument and is annoyingly hospitable to the point where one choses a hotel over her house.  She acts in such a way that pushes her daughter away even though she is trying to do the opposite.  As the book progresses, though, I realize how Winnie's past plays a huge role in why she acts the way she does.  She isn't such a good mother because she didn't  had a mom to raise her, and she doesn't know how to act.  Also, she is so overbearing because she doesn't want her daughter to ever feel as though she has "disappeared".  It is important to recognize that a lot of Winnie's past has to do how she acts now.

Pearl's Secret

Pearl's secret is that she has a terrible disease called multiple sclerosis, which is a maiming illness which slowly takes away ones ability to function.  She decides to keep this as a secret from her mother.  It is sad because a typical mother and daughter relationship would not warrant such secrecy, yet here it is present.  Pearl keeps this from her mother to avoid her mother's overflow of emotions.  Winnie is a very superstitious lady, and if she would hear that her daughter has this disease, she would most certainly overreact.  In this overreaction she would probably blame herself, saying that her "bad luck" caused her this.  Pearl's choice to keep this from her mother is more selfish than not because it shows she is actively shutting her mother out of her life because she is too much.  In order to mend the bonds of their relationship,  Pearl will have to learn to tolerate Winnie or they will lose connection entirely.   Both Winnie and Pearl have to have better communication and need tell each other exactly how they feel.