Wab's Mother Character Analysis in The Marrow Thieves

Wab's mother was an alcoholic who, when alcohol became scarce in the city, turned to cocaine. She traded sexual favors for drugs, which often put young Wab at risk of sexual abuse, too. Wab's mother was generally uninvolved in raising her, and was too intoxicated to care when Wab came home with her major injury after being gang-raped. Even in the present, almost a decade after this incident, Wab feels abandoned by her mother.

Wab's Mother Character Timeline in The Marrow Thieves

The timeline below shows where the character Wab's Mother appears in The Marrow Thieves. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...at the desk with a bottle. She looks sleepily at Frenchie and says that her mother was awful. She asks Frenchie if his mom was horrible too, and then says that... (full context)

...huddled in the hallways of apartment buildings. Wab lived on the top floor with her mother, who drank and saw lots of men. Sometimes the men would try to touch Wab,... (full context)

Cyclical Histories, Language, and Indigenous Oppression Theme Icon

Wab's mother traded sexual favors for alcohol, so Wab had to feed herself. She was a strong... (full context)