Mother Character Analysis

Joe’s mother, while not quite as central to Joe’s story as his father, is nevertheless an important figure in Joe’s life, and she seems to represent comfort for Joe. In Joe’s memories and hallucinations, his mother sings the kitchen, makes lots of food for Joe’s whole family, and recites “’Twas the Night Before Christmas” every year for the family. When Joe lies in his hospital bed, unable to see or hear, he imagines that he’s back inside his mother’s womb—his mind seems to be trying to escape his present horror by going back to his mother. But while Joe’s mother embodies comfort, she is also something Joe can never go back to, once again highlighting the innocence Joe lost in the war.