Stone Cold Fox

Bea’s mother’s book is about a rabbit who runs away from his mother, but his mother always finds him. Bea’s mother reads this book to Bea in moments when she is trying to show affection, though Bea knows the affection is always short-lived. Bea sees the book as a threat, representing her mother’s endless pursuit of Bea, as well as the lengths to which her mother goes to restrain Bea, such as bringing the frightening man to their home. Even though the book, for Bea, is about a child who cannot escape their parent, the book serves as a symbol of Bea’s mother’s love for Bea, which she struggles to express. Bea’s mother is obsessed with her games of deception and manipulation, but she always tries to involve Bea as part of a “team,” which, for Bea’s mother, is the ultimate sign of affection, letting someone else participate in her schemes. The book, then, is a way for Bea’s mother to assure Bea that she will never be alone or excluded from those schemes.

This symbol recurs at the end of the novel, as Bea’s mother sends a copy of the book to Bea as a baby shower gift.