Clint Mcnish's Brea A Ghost Story

An Analysis of the Mother Characters in Breathe: A Ghost Story

Mother figures are defined sociologically as “someone who does the relational and logistical work of child rearing” (Medina and Magnuson 4). Most children can, without much difficulty, describe at least one figure in their life which is like a mother to them. The characters in Clint McNish’s Breathe: A Ghost Story (2006) are no exception. This story includes three female characters that exemplify different types of mothers throughout the story: two which are very nurturing and one that becomes apathetic and scheming. Jack’s mom, Sarah, helps her son cope with his asthma and loss of his father. Ann, a fourteen year old girl, looks after three younger children and protects them from the Ghost Mother. Finally, the Ghost Mother grieves the loss of her daughter and essentially creates her own personal purgatory, which drives her to near insanity. Sarah fights the Ghost Mother to protect her son and remains a constant source of comfort and safety. While Ann is an innocent, gentle, and patient figure, she also remains authoritative. She

She guards her son, Jack, with her life. In one case, Jack wants to explore the cellar of their new house. However, the dusty room will trigger his asthma, and his mother realizes this. She physically moves in front of him to block him from entering (McNish 30). Later on, she is possessed by the Ghost Mother, who is volatile and dangerous(). Even without fully understanding the situation she is in, her first instinct is to call for Jack and warn him that something is wrong (McNish 125). Without knowing what is happening to her, and even after realizing she herself could be immediate danger, her first response is to protect her child. This shows how she shields Jack from danger, whether seemingly small or large, and how she prioritizes her son’s safety above her