Family Nature in Annie John

In the novel "Annie John", a common motif of the nature of family is found throughout the novel, but represented in many different ways. In the beginning of the novel, Annie talks about her family in an adoring manner, most specifically her mother. She respects her father and feels as if she can always rely on him. She is fully supported by both of her parents and they feel great pride in her achievements in school. In turn, they show her their love by caring for her every need. Annie is inseperable from her mother, and most of the beginning of the book is told by Annie describing her mother and how beautiful she is. She looks up to her mother as her role model and wants to be just like her. However, as the story progresses it is seen that the relationships within the family are changed. Annie gets older, and her mother becomes harsher and stricter on her. Their relationship becomes distant and Annie starts to feel hatred for her mother, even having dreams about killing her. Her once adoring tone when describing her has become hostile. It is unclear if her feelings of hatred are decided, as Annie sometimes talks about her mother showing her affection and in a loving manner. Annie's relationship with her father stays relatively constant in all parts of this novel, showing him as a reliable character that both Annie and her mother look up to. However, she feels isolated from her family and that she has no one to go to.