It was brought up in class today that Nathan's mom may not be held accountable for being passive in the situation. She obviously knows that Nathan is being sexually abused. I can understand why his mom wouldn't speak out against it. Personally I don't believe I entirely blame for the way she handled the situation. If her and Nathan were to leave, it is unclear as to where they could go. It is also mentioned by Roy's mother says she "can't do numbers. I don't think women have the minds for some things."
I think it bought up an interesting topic for the final comparison paper. The discussion led me to think about Stella's passiveness in A Streetcar Named Desire. Both women were in a society where the husbands were the patriarchs and ruled the household. While I have not completed the book, Nathan's mom has refused to acknowledge his sexual abuse or act on it. Stella also refused to acknowledge her own physical abuse with Stanley or Blanches' rape. They are both in denial yet know everything is really true. However, both women have limited options if they decide to do the right thing. I'm not sure what affects will be similar as I still have to finish reading Dream Boy.
I also wrote about Nathan's mother's passiveness which isn't entirely her choice. I can totally see the parallels between Stella and Nathan's mother, especially since they are in the same time period and location: the South. I wonder if Stella and Nathan mother had more opportunity, would things have turned out differently for them both.
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