Glass

 Mam is an amazing character within the novel. She is like a multifaceted glass. You can look right through her if you want and not truly see much, but looking closer you begin to see all her angles blend together to form a piece of art. Her sharp edges act as a protective defense, dulled over time as age takes over.  Testament to all that she has seen and overcome. The sharp edges oppose the smooth sides of the glass, revealing her softer side. A nursing ability that was planted within her soul from the day she was born, amplifying itself over time as she traded in her dolls for children of which she raised with more love than imaginable, showing her devotion to her children every day. Mam reflects herself onto others, shining a colorful rainbow of light wherever she goes. Unbeknownst to most, she has touched them all, making them what they are today. Leonie, her daughter, strives to attain Mam’s sense of love and care, constantly knowing how to mail the sick and nurture the healthy. She doesn’t see that she was graced with her mother's tenacity instead, just as Mam never gives up on her children Leonie never gives up on her dreams. Jojo holds Mom's gift to take care of others, which he ironically doesn’t want, choosing to ignore his ability to focus on being a strong man instead. Young Michaela holds Mam’s gift to make change in the lives of others, allowing the unsettled souls of Mississippi, finally return “home.” Even Pop holds his wife’s light, developing her soft side as he works to reconcile his past and present. Mam is the vision of a glass. You may not think there is much to her, no discernible piazzas, and that may be because of the brilliant light she shines on her loved ones, even In death, but noticed or not, she is crucial to the novel.