他的母亲指出，与斧头的袭击不超过她为自己的孩子所做的。母亲会保护她的年轻人，因为良好的父亲在很少的情况下，一个孩子真正能依靠的人是成长，孕育他们并养育他们的女人。现在，他在这里，面对一个人，他在其他任何时候都会感到荣幸地帮助她购物回家。
(His mother had pointed out that the attack with the axe was no more than she would have done herself for her own children. That a mother would protect her young because, with good fathers being few and far between, the only person a child could really count on was the woman who had grown them, birthed them and nurtured them. Now, here he was, confronting someone who, at any other time, he would feel honour-bound to help carry her shopping home.)
这个角色反映了母亲的保护本能，回想起自己的母亲如何看待极端行动，例如斧头攻击，在追求捍卫自己的孩子的过程中可以理解。她强调，在一个稀缺的父亲的世界中，母亲仍然是主要的监护人，并支持她的后代，从出生开始就致力于照顾自己。这种观点凸显了在可怕环境中孕产妇爱的猛烈忠诚和力量。
现在面对有需要的人，主角感到他的帮助根深蒂固的责任感与周围环境的知识之间存在冲突。他过去信仰的重量与他必须在当前的现实发生冲突，表明面对逆境，忠诚和荣誉可能变得复杂。这一刻说明了将个人与家人联系在一起的深厚情感纽带以及这些关系中出现的道德困境。