“Mom,” he says apologetically. “Oh,” Amanda says, understanding completely.
Her mother’s done the same thing with her, forcing her to spend time with Charlie when she doesn’t even want to be in the same room with him :pp.39-40.
When the children get sick Polly always covers the children with the quilt. The children believe that the quilt will make them will be better soon and they often fight to
get the quilt when both of them are sick. She’s holding onto the quilt his mother always covers them with when
they’re sick. It is blue and white with a border of stars and a few boxes of red in the center. They used to believe it was the quilt that made them well, and if both
of them were sick they fought over it :pp.40-41.
As a caring mother, Polly does not give the attention for the children only, but also for her husband, Ivan. She loves her husband. For Polly, Ivan still looks as young
as he did when they met :p.6. Polly loves the way he looks and one of the aspect in which Polly put her attention to is about the physical appearance.
He’s happiest wearing frayed sweaters and unwashed chinos: he’d never have his hair cut if Polly didn’t remind him :p.6.
4.1.2 Responsible
Every parent wants to give the best thing for their children. Environment in which the children spend their childhood and the education are the main consideration
for the children. Polly responsibility as a parent can be seen from the reason when the family moves from Boston to Cape Ann. Polly tries to give the best environment and
education for the children, that is the reason why the family moves. The author uses the direct comment to show Polly’s responsibility :Murphy, 1972:170.
Originally, Polly and Ivan moved to Cape Ann from Boston for the children :p.10.
By the time Polly and Ivan were looking for a house, Morrow’s district had been rated among the top ten in the Commonwealth. That alone was reason to move
:p.11.
Polly does not want the children to live in bad environment and she considers that Cape Ann is a good environment for the children to spend their childhood and to
grow up. Polly also supports Amanda and Charlie’s hobbies. Amanda likes gymnastic and
Charlie has an interest in science and pets. The fee to support their hobbies is not small and that is why Polly has to work. Actually Polly does not feel happy with her work and
tries to hide her job :p.8. But realizing her role as a parent who has gives the best thing for the children, Polly still works to earn money. Once, Polly has a project but she does
not feel comfortable with it, Polly almost turns down the project but when she realizes that she needs money for the children, she takes the project.
She almost turned down the project, but the fee was too seductive, enough to pay for gymnastics camp and orthodontists and hamster cages for year to come
:p.15.
The money that Polly gets from her job is not only being used to support the children’s hobbies but also to fulfill their children’s needs, such as clothes and
stationeries. Polly always brings the children to Bradlee’s and chooses the children’s need.
Polly has always taken the children shopping to Bradlee’s for new clothes and school supplies, and she doesn’t intend to stop now :p.91.
Before Amanda gets sick, Polly always brings the children to Bradlee’s and after Amanda gets sick she still bring the children to go there because she wants every thing
runs like the ordinary day.
4.1.3 Proud
Polly does not have a good relationship with her parents, Claire and Al. It was because something happened in the past. When Polly was a child, Al left the family for
nine days. Al did not give any news or leave any messages for Claire and Polly. Soon Polly realized that her father left to meet his lady friend. Al has an affair. However, the
problem which made Polly felt upset was not because the affair but because Claire forgave Al’s mistake. This can be seen from the conversation between Polly and Claire,
her mother, when Al went back to the house :Murphy, 1972:162. By the time Al came back, nine days later, Polly hated him. He was
visiting a friend, he said, but Polly knew it was a lady friend. […] “That’s it?” Polly had said to her mother. “You’re taking him back?”
“Don’t think you understand everything about grownups, because you don’t,” Al told Polly :p.75.
Polly ignored her father. She watched as her mother searched through a drawer for her vegetable. She hated her father, but what she felt for Claire was worse.
She didn’t know what it was called, but it was pity, and it changed something between them forever :p.76.
The relationship between them started to change. That problem makes Polly keep a distance with her parents. Polly feels when she sees her mother Polly willl
remember about the past :p.76. After Polly married with Ivan, Polly lives separately. Polly lives in Massachusetts and her parents live in New York. She meets her parents
rarely. Polly prefers to visit them rather than her parents come to visit Polly. Even now, Polly cannot look at her mother without thinking of the night
her father came home, and so she stays away. She sees her parents as little as possible, and she prefers to visit them instead of having them come up :p.76.
Polly never tells her disappointment with her parents, but Claire and Al realize that there was a problem happened in the past which makes Polly disappointed but they
do not know what the problem was. When knowing the parents are going to visit
