Marion

Marion is introduced as Elisha’s mother, but I wondered why her daughter calls her “Marion”. This is explained in the second chapter, as Elisha wants to be called “Ellie” and refuses to call her mother “mom”, because her mother does not call her “Ellie”. Marion and Elisha have an interesting relationship, as it seems to be close and still detached. Marion notices her daughter must have thought of a boy and Elisha expresses “We were almost friends now” (p.21). However, Marion left her family several times when her children were still young. Elisha had to deal with the feelings of being left alone by her mother. Marion’s reason for leaving was emptiness in her life and she thinks it comes from marrying and having children early. Thus, she tries to prevent that Elisha’s life goes a similar way and attempts to persuade her not to have a boyfriend at this age. Being a teenage girl, Elisha obviously has different ideas. It will be interesting to see how their relationship will develop as Elisha and Jeremiah will surely become a couple in some part of the novel.