‘Why then isn’t she?’- Mother
(flustered)’Well…It could’ve been a number of things.’-Chris
Already, some type of tension has been created between Mother and Chris, since Mother is convinced and happy that Ann has not yet married, which obviously mean she still loves and believes that Larry is alive. However, Chris has invited Ann to their house because he is in love with her, and wants to marry her, which of course he knows Mother would protest to. She would suffer from this, because if Chris and Ann were to marry, it would mean that Ann was officially over the idea of waiting for Larry, and that Mother would be the only one left,
‘Believe with me Joe. I can’t stand all alone.’-Mother
Which she would seem to be unable to handle.
Further drama is created, when Mother goes on to explain the bizarre dream she had, right before Larry’s memorial tree was struck down. It is from this point that the normal atmosphere seems to disappear. To Mother, the tree falling down had a meaning towards Larry status. To her it meant that he was still alive,
‘-Everybody was in such a hurry to burry him. I said not to plant it yet-‘ Mother
(Alarmed)’Too soon!’ Chris
The fact that Larry has been missing for three years, and she still holds onto this fake hope,
‘Only last weed a man turned up in Detroit, missing longer than Larry-‘ Mother
Shows her capability to convince herself that Larry will show up. This inability to face the facts of realities shows how much she is suffering, since she is no longer being rational. She seems to try everything to convince the other characters that she is right, and goes so far as getting angry with them when they don’t.
Probably one of the largest effectors for Mothers suffering is the fact that she has had to keep Joe Keller’s secret for so long. It was her who knew for sure that Joe was in fact guilty, and yet she did nothing because she knew that if he were to go to jail, she would be without a husband and money to support her sons. However, it is obvious that keeping this secret begins to finally have its affect on her, since she seems so emotional when people talk about jail, even in a casual manner. Such as the occasion with Joe’s game with Bert.
‘Go home Bert! I want you to stop that Joe. The whole jail business!’- Mother
Joe seems shocked at her reaction, and is almost angered that she would react so nervously, because, as we find out later, he needs her to portray herself calmly, as if she doesn’t know anything, and everything is normal. I think that she is suffering from this, because she feels so guilty, especially with George and Ann being there, because they’re father was put into jail, even though he wasn’t the only one to blame.
Towards the end of the play, Mother seems to be near hysterics when she finds out about Ann and Chris.
‘-You’re going in the morning, and you’re going alone. That’s your life, that’s your lonely life.’-Mother
Was what she confronted Ann with. However, when Ann shows Mother the suicide letter from Larry, and Mother finally knows that he is truly dead, is when I think she suffers the most in the play. This is because, the thing that she was holding on to for the last three years, is wrong. She had been waiting, and even keeping up his room, in hopes of his return, because she needed him to be alive. With him dead, it would mean that it was Keller’s fault, since he was the one that drove her son to commit suicide. I think that she feels guilty, because if she had told the truth, and Keller had gone to jail, then perhaps Larry would still be there. It is as if she is torn between two people that she greatly loves. To make matters worse, after Keller reads the note, he to commits suicide, leaving Mother a widow, and mourning mother.
