Abbie impulsively insults Eben (even though she wants to seduce him) when he brings up Minnie. As before, she feels momentarily vengeful and this clouds her judgement, causing her to act rashly. Once she steps back into her power and cunning, though, she continues controlling the situation and exerting her influence over Eben. Eben’s mechanical, confused demeanor shows that he’s unable to resist her hold over him. He’s also bewildered because his desire for Abbie is intermingled with his deep love and grief for Maw, and so both women are directing his behavior.