Like Des’s father, Des’s mother appears unconcerned with her son’s criminal behavior. Just as Des’s father depicts Des as a “naughty boy” rather than a criminal, Des’s mother frames her son’s community service order (painting lines on basketball courts) as a real job rather than a punishment. In the story, she’s constantly fussing over Des or waiting on the men in the family by bringing them food and beer.
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Des’s Mother Character Timeline in Five-Dollar Family
The timeline below shows where the character Des’s Mother appears in Five-Dollar Family. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Five-Dollar Family
...he has “this court thing” that morning, so Michelle tells him firmly to arrange for his mother to pick Michelle and Jason up from the hospital if Des can’t do it.
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Michelle remembers when she first met Des’s parents at a barbeque. His mother fussed over Des and his younger brother, Kyle, and talked about Des’s community service order—painting...
(full context)
