Jordan's Mother

I found the relationship between June and her mother to be incredibly interesting mainly because of how entirely absent it is from the story. The book follows much more closely her relationship with her father which seemed abnormal to me in a book about a young girl. In my personal experience young girls are often more attached and associated with the mother figure so when June’s mother is absent for large portions of the story it made me wonder why.

             

From the prologue we get a clear view of the mother’s place in the family. The first time we see the mother is her trying to dissuade June’s father from putting himself in danger. They argue and Jordan implies that this argument, and subsequently any other argument “would mean my mother losing to my father” (pg. xviii). This places the mother in Jordan’s eyes; she is submissive and somewhat uncaring. She cares enough to intervene, I would argue not for her father’s safety but for June’s, but does not hold up her end of the argument, being slated to lose before it even really starts. This moment introduces the mother and sets up her place for the majority of the story. She is never strong enough and Jordan is constantly punishing her mother for this. While Jordan is learning to be a strong Soldier, her mother is becoming weaker and weaker. In one line Jordan states “My mother didn’t say much, but she never said, “All right” (pg 16) implying that Jordan believed her mother had some strength but never enough.  The reader gets the sense that the mother does not often agree with Jordan’s father but is not strong enough to fight entirely.

              

This is why Jordan begins early distancing herself from her mother. She states early in the story that they do not look alike that people ask “Whose baby is this?” when they would see them together (pg 10). Despite this distancing though the reader does get to see touching scenes between June and her mother. We see them together on hot days, with her mother fanning her to help her sleep. In this passage she says “I’d do anything to see or hear my mother laugh” (pg 87). The reader then gets the sense that her mother does not laugh often meanwhile June loves to laugh. They are very different and yet the reader still gets the sense June loves her mother, though I would argue she also blames her.

               

During all of the tense scenes with her father, June’s mother is often there but simply standing in the background. When her father throws her into the water at the beach, her mother stands by intent to “not let her baby girl drown” (pg 94). I believe Jordan blames her mother for never being there enough. In the fight scene with Jordan’s father, her mother seems to have strong desires for June. She wants her to have a normal childhood and understands that no matter how much ‘training’ she undergoes she will always have a lower status due to her race. She argues with June’s father about this but doesn’t stand her ground enough. June eventually has to rush in to save her by pleasing her father with lines. June is often seen protecting or helping her mother which is a reversal of how she thinks it should be. This is clear at the end when June’s mother does not even try to intervene when June is sent to school “My mother didn’t argue anymore. And, anyway, my father didn’t need her to agree” (pg 251). Jordan has given up on the idea of her mother helping her, and when she doesn’t even come to see her off to school Jordan is not surprised. I get the sense though that Jordan’s mother did care very much, and never gave up on trying to help. She just didn’t have the strength June did she didn’t have the ability to fight back. 

-Haley Tallent

(P.S It is interesting to note that Jordan's mother committed suicide when Jordan was still quite young though I do not know the exact time period. Maybe Elmaz does? It would be interesting to look at the mother as someone who may have also been mentally ill, certainly some of her mannerisms and Jordan's reactions seem to fit with this reading though I did not know this until after I looked up the mother's name which is also surprising not mentioned throughout the book she is only referred to as Mrs. Jordan, at least I couldn't find it. If anyone did please let me know.)