Close Reading 10/11

"'I'm sorry about your poor mother.' It was the first time she ever spoken to me" (190).

Mrs. Meany normally spends most of her time staring out the window or occasionally looking into the fire, not doing much of anything, let alone socializing. She is a minor character in the novel, yet she can symbolize a lot of things.

In this particular passage, she is showing how she feels for John. Many times it is impossible to understand how she feels. She does not show emotion, most likely because the world scares her and emotions allow that fright in. When she does show emotion, it is quite shocking to both the reader and John. He has never heard Mrs. Meany speak, let alone feel some sympathy for his mother and in turn for him. She showed him that she does realize what is going on and she does feel something for him.

Mrs. Meany shows how she feels for John's mother. Mrs. Meany may never have met her, but she most likely noticed every time that she brought Owen home, or took Owen somewhere he wanted to go. And she is grateful for the attention that she showed her son. The feeling of gratefulness that stems from the idea that she was more of a mother to Owen than she was, and she must have been glad that someone showed her son the motherly attention that he craved for, that Mrs. Meany is unable to give her son. Going into Owen's room and looking at the mannequin that Owen had resembling John's mother, shows how she mourns for the woman and she feels bad for what happened to her. She feels bad for the person who acted like more of a mother to her son than she ever acted.

Speaking to John is a big thing. Mrs. Meany keeps to herself and never talks to anyone whenever she is mentioned in the story. Her opening up, and actually speaking is a big step toward accepting reality and beginning to act like a mother toward Owen. If she can begin to feel sympathy and pain for her death, it is the beginning of her accepting the rest of her life. This could help her into becoming a better parent and a better mother for Owen.

The word choice by the author also shows something about Mrs. Meany. He refers to Tabby as a poor mother; someone who pity should be taken upon. Mrs. Meany feels badly for Tabby, someone who was such a wonderful mother and so full of life. She is the exact opposite of Mrs. Meany, it can actually be shocking that she actually feels upset about what happens. But, it shows a side of Mrs. Meany that was unknown before. It shows how she can be open in her close minded and close self identity that the reader is seeing her as. She might actually talk and interact more than we see. Even if it takes her longer to than other people. This excerpt really shows incite to the sort of person Mrs. Meany is.