Go, Went, Gone

by Jenny Erpenbeck

Anne’s Mother Character Analysis

Anne’s mother is an older woman who requires in-home health care. Per Richard’s suggestion, Anne hires the refugee Ali to be her mother’s temporary aid. The arrangement works out well, and Ali treats Anne’s mother with great care, though the elderly woman’s racial prejudice (which Anne attributes to her old age and her upbringing) causes her to be afraid of Ali at first.

Anne’s Mother Quotes in Go, Went, Gone

The Go, Went, Gone quotes below are all either spoken by Anne’s Mother or refer to Anne’s Mother. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Refugee Crisis and Bureaucracy   Theme Icon
).

Chapter 42 Quotes

The Polish health-care aide returns to Berlin and her job taking care of Anne’s mother before New Year’s arrives. She would have liked to spend a few more days with her family in Poland, Anne says, but you understand. . . .

What a shame, Richard says.

Related Characters: Anne (speaker), Richard (speaker), Ali, Anne’s Mother
Page Number and Citation: 216
Explanation and Analysis:
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Anne’s Mother Character Timeline in Go, Went, Gone

The timeline below shows where the character Anne’s Mother appears in Go, Went, Gone. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 37
Refugee Crisis and Bureaucracy   Theme Icon
Compassion and Human Connection  Theme Icon
...Spandau. Richard’s friend Anne, meanwhile, has met with Ali. She approves of him, though her elderly mother is afraid of him because he’s Black. When Richard’s tickets to the Christmas Oratorio concert... (full context)
Chapter 42
Refugee Crisis and Bureaucracy   Theme Icon
Compassion and Human Connection  Theme Icon
Racism and Prejudice  Theme Icon
Anne’s mother ’s health-care aide returns to Berlin, and with that, Ali no longer has a job.... (full context)