’night, Mother (Cyclopedia of Literary Places)
At a glance:
- Author: Marsha Williams
- First Published: 1983
- Type of Work: Drama
- Type of Plot: Psychological realism
- Time of Work: Late twentieth century
- Genres: Domestic realism, Drama, Psychological drama, Domestic tragedy
- Subjects: 1970’s, United States or Americans, Memory, Mothers, Parents and children, Suicide, Communication, Alienation, 1980’s, Honesty, Pain, Death or dying, Depression, mental, Truthfulness and falsehood, Loneliness, Life and death, Happiness, Epilepsy
- Locales: United States
Places Discussed
House. Typical ranch house built at the end of a country road. No name is given to a town here, but the rather isolated nature of the house is important, as it symbolizes the lonely life that Jessie lives in it. In contrast to Jessie, her mother is happily ensconced in her cozy living room. It is filled with nice products of her needlework that are all pleasantly attractive. Since Jessie is ill with epilepsy, she seldom leaves her house, in which she is increasingly becoming a prisoner as she ages.
On the land abutting the house, Jessie’s father had...
[The entire page is 899 words long]
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