Literary Analysis Annie John

Summer Reading Assignment: Prompt #5
In the book Annie John, Annie’s relationship with her mother fluctuates as Annie repeatedly hangs on to and then pushes her mother away because she believes she must choose between spending time with her mother and having her own interests. Difficulties such as this arise as a result of Annie’s struggle to discern that she exists outside of her mother’s identity. These conflicts demonstrate the dynamic relationship that Annie and her mother share. In the beginning of the book, Annie recalls the familiar, happy times she shared with her mother. She says, “My mother and I often took a bath together. Sometimes it was a plain bath, which didn't take very long. Other times, it was a special bath in which …show more content…
This is demonstrated when Annie says, “At that moment, I missed my mother more than I had ever imagined possible and wanted only to live somewhere quiet and beautiful with her alone, but also at the same time I wanted only to see her lying dead, all withered and in a coffin at my feet” (Kincaid 106). Annie feels both utter adoration and frustration towards her mother because although she loves her dearly, her mother continuously rejects Annie’s new, developing identity because she treats it as a personal attack against herself. Annie’s mother is offended by Annie’s new self because it goes against her traditional ideas of how a lady should act. Tensions rise and both characters finally break when Annie’s mother calls her a slut and Annie responds with “‘Well, like father like son, like mother like daughter’” (Kincaid 102). In this moment, Annie is acting out against her mother because she feels she deserves it after she betrayed her. This is the last instance where Annie compares herself to her mother, and it is significant because unlike back when Annie was younger and tried to associate herself with the beautiful and strong woman she called Mom, this time Annie is using the comparison to tear her mother down. Annie’s struggle between wanting to make …show more content…
Annie’s feeling towards her mother are polarizing, with her loving her mother one minute then hating her the next for smothering her, then missing her affection again, all while struggling to be her own person, instead of merely a younger version of her mother. Their relationship, as well as the characters themselves, truly epitomizes the meaning the of the word

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Literary Analysis Annie John

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