Since today is Mother’s Day in Germany, I thought I could go into a very special mother role; George’s mother Dolores Sugarman.
At the beginning of the story, it quickly becomes clear that Dolores is an extremely attractive woman, and thus even George therapist Dr. Manvill gets a little bit intimidated by that. Dolores has self-confidence and a confident demeanor, and only George’s father, Ray Susniak, had ever managed to pull the floor under her feet in such a way that she did not stand up for herself. Their love for each other made her a different person. Watch out for the cliché: the most destructive relationships are often those that would seem eternal. And it is not Dolores who puts an end to this relationship, but George’s father.
It is precisely this relationship and the leaving of the father that make George become that latently introverted, and women facing, shy man. Dolores, on the other hand, seems to have returned to her old strength after the separation, and much more. She gives everything to not only be a good mother, she even tries to replace the father. Which, by its very nature, is a difficult undertaking. Dolore’s love and devotion seems boundless no matter what her son does. And even when fate makes become him a single father, she does not hesitate and supports her son wherever she can. The question arises as to how much Dolore’s strength and vigour may have inadvertently maneuvered her son George into his role as a silent observer. His insecurity towards women may well result from the fact that he grew up with an Amazon-like image of women due to his mother. Women he might not be able to cope with, george assumes. Or even women who would try to change him too much. In his own way, George is quite stubborn and a woman, similarly knitted as his mother, could sooner or later simply annoy him. George has to get things done his way and this requires a patient companion. Patience is a foreign word for the dear Dolores.
Where does Dolores actually take her seemingly endless strength from? I think resilience is one of her greatest strengths. Throughout the plot, strokes of fate that Dolores has to experience are repeatedly depicted. And after each one, sooner or later she packs all her strength back together and continues, making the most of the situation. Dolores is a fighter with a big heart, and writing about her here, I have to think very strongly of my dear grandma, whose life was full of heavy blows of fate. The saying „when life gives you lemons, make lemonade“ comes to mind and I think I could well call my grandmother the queen of delicious lemonades. Now, at this moment, I notice how much I have put, quite unconsciously, into the character of Dolores Sugarman.
Martina Writes 