Tereza's mother never stopped reminding her that being a mother meant sacrificing everything. Her words had the ring of truth, backed as they were by the experience of a woman who had lost everything because of her child. Tereza would listen and believe that being a mother was the highest value in life and that being a mother was a great sacrifice. If a mother was Sacrifice personified, then a daughter was Guilt, with no possibility of redress.
Tereza's mother consistently emphasized the profound sacrifices that come with motherhood, a notion rooted in her own painful experiences. Her life reflected the heavy toll of unconditional love and loss, shaping Tereza's perception of maternal duty as the utmost virtue. Tereza absorbed this belief deeply, seeing motherhood as the pinnacle of existence, laden with significant personal sacrifice.
This dynamic established a powerful contrast between mothers and their daughters, where the mother embodies selflessness and the daughter becomes a figure of guilt. In this relationship, Tereza felt an enduring burden of guilt, suggesting that while a mother's sacrifices are celebrated, a daughter's path is shadowed by the weight of these expectations, leaving little room for redemption.