Ma is a character who I definitely admire, but sometimes (after they've escaped Room) I don't understand her behavior and wish I had an insight into what she's thinking.
I'm not sure if this from Ma's brain going on crazy survival mode after being locked up, or if she's just really smart and resourceful (probably a combination of both), but it seems like Ma does an amazing job of finding creative solutions for things and making do with what she has. Like, how she thought to hit Old Nick on the head with the lid from the toilet. Or, how she rations supplies so well and only asks for special things that are, for the most part, reusable-- such as crayons instead of markers. She comes up with so many things to do with Jack, like making Eggsnake. She's also so determined. Aside from when she's "gone," she keeps Jack on such a strict schedule and gives him as much education and structure as she possibly can. She keeps him sharp and makes him work sometimes rather than just doing fun, lazing around things all the time. She makes him do things he doesn't want to do, but she also turns things that might not otherwise be fun into games-- like Scream.
Another thing I'm amazed at is thinking about what happened after Jack was first born, how did she possibly manage to take care of a baby in Room?? Babies are ton of work, in a lot of ways more work than older kids. There are so many things she wouldn't have had access to that make taking care of a baby a lot easier. She had just come out of severe depression, and then she had to literally put all her time, energy, and focus into baby Jack. And, she probably didn't get a lot of sleep. It would be so difficult to constantly provide enough stimulation for the baby to develop instead of just slacking and only taking care of the baby's basic needs (which is hard enough on it's own). She also was so young and had no experience with parenting other than babysitting which Grandma mentions she did.
As amazing as all this is, there were times after Jack and Ma had escaped where I got annoyed with her. Like, when she was overly snappy and mean with the people at the Clinic. It's understandable to make snap judgements on her new stepfather who was totally out of the blue for her, or of the interviewer who was asking her ridiculous questions, but there were a lot of times when I thought; really Ma, really? That was unnecessary.
Actually, there were a lot of times at the Clinic when I thought people were extremely tactless, and she had every right to snap at them. When someone said that she had the perfect figure for skinny jeans (since she was malnourished), that really annoyed me and I'm surprised that it didn't annoy Ma more. there were also very tactless things from the lawyer. Really, I am completely sympathetic with Ma. She has been in an impossible situation for seven years, and now it must be incredibly hard to adjust.
ReplyDeleteHaving played a considerable supporting role in the rearing of two infants under far more hospitable circumstances, I too am in awe of Ma, and I look at those five years with Jack cumulatively as among the most astounding feats of heroism on our syllabus, in large part because they don't entail one single dramatic act of courage but a sustained and focused project over the course of years, which requires unimaginable patience and ingenuity.
ReplyDeleteBut in a crucial sense, having all this work to do--this "project" toward which to devote her energy and love and imagination--is what keeps her human during this ordeal. Work is hard, but work is good, too--it gives us a sense of purpose, a reason to get up in the morning and put forth the effort. Ma didn't have that before Jack, and she describes herself as mentally and intellectually wasting away in the shed, aside from the physical wasting away. Jack brings her back to life, and there's a wonderful mutuality to this aspect of their relationship.
I feel like Ma's actions were kind of expected. I mean, she didn't talk to anyone except Old Nick and Jack for 7 years, and when she was finally free, it seemed like no one was able to understand her. So I don't really blame her for lashing out. Also, we know that she's mentally unstable, so that probably has something to do with it also.
ReplyDeleteI feel like being in Room all the time, Ma had a lot of time to think of all the possible repercussions for her actions. Such as when she was planning the great escape. She would think for long periods of time, figuring out as much as she could and only stopping and putting the plan into action when she knew that she had controlled as much as she humanly could.
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