The mother

The mother is another secondary character in “A Fable” by Robert Fox. She remains unnamed, and we are given no details on her life or outer characterization.

The writer constructs the mother’s inner characterization through the dialogue with her daughter and the young man.

She notices the young man is staring at her daughter and believes he loves her (p. 31, ll. 13-15). When her daughter asks her how she can be sure, she replies: “Because I’m your mother.” (p. 31, l. 16). It is unclear what she means. It could be a phrase which establishes her authority – because she is a mother, she knows everything and is always right. It could also mean that she is aware that her daughter’s beauty attracts men’s attention. Overall, she seems to confuse attraction with love or purposefully calls it love to give a sense of appropriateness to the circumstances.

Nevertheless, she seems unconcerned with the young man’s intentions and advises her daughter to speak with him: “ ‘He’ll try to talk to you. If he does, answer him. Be nice to him. He’s only a boy.’ ” (p. 31, ll. 18-19)

She seems to take satisfaction that she was right in thinking the man will approach her daughter: “ ‘I knew it,’ the mother said between her teeth. ‘I knew it, I knew it.’ ” (p. 31, ...