As before, both Eben’s desire for Abbie and his grief for Maw control his behavior—he’s overpowered by both, emphasizing their hold over him. Abbie’s and Eben’s desire for each other takes on an incestuous tone in this scene, as she promises to be like a mother
and a lover to him. Here, the play draws inspiration from Ancient Greek tragedies such as Euripides’s
Hippolytus, in which a stepmother falls in love with her stepson, triggering tragic results. Abbie is technically Eben’s stepmother, and Eben’s feelings for Abbie blend sexual desire with his craving for maternal attention in the wake of his grief over Maw’s death.