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.