The mother has a very realistic and objective view of herself. She admits that she is a large, big- boned woman with hands of a man. She offers the reader a very extensive, and seemingly, critical account of herself. The mother does, however, admit that she would like to be thinner. The mother's wish to be more attractive is only to satisfy her visiting daughter, Dee. Dee's mother, when talking about her fantasy of being on television, even says that, " I am the way my daughter wants me to be: a hundred pounds lighter, my skin like an uncooked barley pancake". This description, along with her reference to a 2nd grade education , leads the reader to conclude that this woman takes pride in the practical aspects of her nature and that she has not spent a great deal of time contemplating abstract concepts such as heritage. .
Her description of her daughter are also honesty and at times brutal. She knew that Dee was superficial. When Dee arrives the mother and Maggie seem to get nervous and treat Dee as if she were just another visitor. She caters to Dee and even trying to accept Dee's new name even thou she does not agree with it. When Dee asks her mother for the quilt, Maggie and her mother are nervous and afraid to refuse. But some how she seemed to acquire the courage that she need to stand up to Dee. .
When she describes her other daughter you can feel the pity that she has for Maggie. Her word choices that uses are words that you describe a lame dog. She also recognized and describes the relation between her daughters. She knows that Maggie feels inferior compared to Dee. By her giving Maggie the Quilt she is giving Maggie a little bit of confidence. In the story when Maggie overheard Dee asking her mom for the quilt she walked out the room because assumed that her mom would say yes. By her say no to Dee shows that the she believes in living heritage instead of it being something that you hang on the world.
