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1、Unit8HousewifelyArtsMeganMayhewBergmanAdditionalBackgroundInformationWhatisthisstoryabout?Oneanswerissimplythatitisaboutlove.Becauseoftheprotagonist’sstrongmaternalloveforherson,Ike,sheworriesaboutgeneticweaknessesshemighthavepassedontohim—“cancergenes,hayfever,highbloodpressure,perhapsafearofm
2、ath”,plusbeingundersizedforhisagemakinghimaneasytargetforbullies.Beingasingleparent,sheknowsthatsheisallhersonhas.Shetakescaretoshelterhimfrombadexamplesandpossibleharm.Thedesiretobeagoodmother,tohelpherchildgrowuphappy,healthy,andproductiveissointensethatsheissometimeshauntedbynightmares.Theex
3、perienceofparentingherchildgraduallymakestheprotagonistmoreawareofherrelationshipwithhermother:Willyoulovemeforever?Ithinktomyself.WillyoulovemewhenI’mold?IfIgocrazy?Willyoubeembarrassedbyme?Avoidmycalls?Washdisheswhenyoutalktomeonthephone,rollyoureyes,laythereceiverdownnexttothecat?Thesewereex
4、actlythethingsshedidtohermother.Lovingherson,shefinallyrealizeshowmuchherparentsalsolovedher.Herfather’slovewaseasiertounderstand.Hetriedhisbesttogiveheropportunitiesinlife,butwhenshefailedintheyearataprivatecollege,whichhehadfundedforherwithconsiderabledifficulty,hedidnotjudgeorreproachher.She
5、lovedherfather,butsheregardedhermotherascoldandharshandfoughtconstantlywithher,reactinglikeherformerself,therebelliousteenager,beingneithermaturenorcompassionateinlookingafterhermotherinoldage,understandingher,forgivingherweaknesses,andlovingher.Butnowthathermotherisdead,shebeginsincreasinglyto
6、missher,andthedecisiontodriveninehourswithhersonforthesakeofhearinghermother’svoiceagainthroughtheimitationsofCarnie,theAfricanparrot,showshowmuchsheneedsthisconnection.“IrealizehowbadlyIneedapieceofmymother.Ascrap,asound,asmell—something.”Sheknowsshehasnotbeenagooddaughter,andtheparrothermothe
7、rlovedandwhichshehatedsomuch,alwaysseemedtocomebetweenthem.Now,however,Carniehasbecomeheronlyavenuetothekindofmemoryshecraves.Butthebirddoesnotgiveherthatsatisfaction,remainingcompletelysilent.Perhapsitcouldnotforgiveherunkindtrea
