Monday Mommy Dearest
Whew, this is a long one. But I guess I have to answer this anyway for Marce, Emil, Ida, Mark, Lize, and Darren. It's important for all of them. No matter what they say about Filipino society being patriarchal, it's really the mothers who rule the roost.
1. Is your character's mother alive, or deceased? If alive, what kind of health / shape is she in? If not, how did she die?
Marce: Her mother (Liway Dimatulac-Benitez) is very much alive. She's a very healthy woman nowadays, owing to the fact that she's not depressed and has much less to worry about since she's living on her own.
Emil: His mother (Martha Galvez-Delos Reyes) is also alive. She's got hypertension, but no real health concerns besides this. Emil also looked to his grandmother (Juliana Galvez) as a sort of mother figure. She passed on from old age when Emil was already an adult.
Ida: Her mother (Edna Ramirez-Almario) is alive, and has diabetes.
Mark: His biological mother (Mara Sanchez) hasn't been heard from for years, but she's presumably alive. His adoptive mother (Patricia Figueroa-Lorenz) is alive but getting on in years, with some osteoporosis to deal with.
Lize: Her mother (Natalie Reyes-Sanchez) passed on when Lize was a teenager. Natalie had heart disease, and died of heart failure in her own bed one afternoon, before her daughter could call the paramedics.
Darren: His mother (Rowena Acosta Dela Vega) is still alive. She's getting on in years too, and has had a few heart attacks.
2. Was she married, or a single parent? A young or older woman when she gave birth to your character? How many children does she have?
Marce: Liway was very much married. She was around twenty-six when she gave birth to Marce, who is the third of five daughters.
Emil: Martha was also married. She was around twenty-four when she had Emil. She had three other sons after him.
Ida: Edna was in her late twenties when she had Ida. She had two more children after, a boy and a girl.
Mark: Mara was only eighteen when she conceived Mark. She had to give him up for adoption (thanks to the more punitive attitudes concerning illegitimacy in the late 80s). On the other hand, Patricia was nearly thirty-three, and had been married for some years when she adopted Mark, who is her only child.
Lize: Natalie was twenty-four when she had Lize, who is her only child.
Darren: Rowena was thirty-three when she had Darren, who is the youngest of her six children.
3. What sort of mother was she to your character when they were small? How did the relationship change as your char grew up?
Marce: Liway was an overburdened mother, being stuck as a housewife raising five girls while her husband Hilario struggled in the workplace. Liway tended to take Hilario's side over the girls' whenever issues came up. A big point of contention was Marce not being 'lady-like' and Liway presumably letting her run wild when the truth was that Liway had no idea how to deal with Marce's interests and personality. These were the reasons that during her teenage years, Marce was a little estranged and frustrated with Liway. It was only when Marce turned eighteen that they became close again, after Hilario disowned Marce following a family fight. Liway realized that she and Marce had much more in common than anyone realized, and their relationship began to mend.
Emil: Martha was a very controlling, overbearing mother who had lots of expectations for her boys, especially once she gave up on ever having a daughter. She hardly let her husband Francis step in for parenting, unless it was for discipline or managing finances. She imagined a 'perfect' family: one son as a doctor, another a lawyer, another a businessman, and one a priest. When she realized that wasn't going to happen owing to her three younger boys' quirks and problems, Emil became her only hope for a 'well-behaved, proper son'. She eventually did ease up on the pressure when Emil was in college and proving that he could be more than responsible. The trouble only began again when Emil began getting serious with Marce (who Martha liked as a 'sister' for Emil owing to their strong friendship), and Martha was not entirely approving of their relationship building up to a marriage. As for Juliana, she treated Emil like a 'gentleman-in-training', and wasn't afraid to teach him things she thought would be useful to him as a grown up. Well, if one counts swing dancing and Spanish as useful.
Ida: Edna was quite hands-on with her children, being determined to raise a proper Christian family with conservative values. Ida and Edna's relationship was seriously strained during Ida's teenage years, when Ida suffered from depression. Edna and the rest of the family tried covering it up instead of getting help for Ida. After Ida's recovery, they've been on the mend but they still cannot be under the same roof for longer than a week without some conflict arising.
Mark: Mark remembers nothing of Mara, though he's grateful that she fought for his right to live instead of aborting him. He hardly remembers Patricia though, since the latter left much of his upbringing to his adoptive grandmother Soledad. Soledad was a stern but affectionate woman who knew how to make an awkward child feel welcome in an otherwise conservative family. This is why Mark is much, much closer to Soledad (to the point of seeking her approval, and not his mother's, when he wanted to present Ida to the family as his girlfriend!) Patricia though got to be 'reacquainted' with her son after the latter adopted his first child Nina.
Lize: Natalie and Lize were very close, owing to the latter being an only child. However when Natalie became ill, she was less involved in Lize's life. She gave over a lot of the decision-making to her husband Raymond at this point, not knowing or realizing that Ray was too strict as a parent. She died not knowing just how much trouble her daughter was getting into.
Darren:Rowena was a glamorous, easygoing woman who unfortunately, left Darren to the care of nannies and his older siblings. Their relationship, which was never close to begin with, only got worse when Darren came out of the closet!
4. Was there ever / could there ever be a time when your character and mom were more like friends than parent and child?
Marce: This already began to happen when Marce was a college student. At this point, Liway learned about Hilario's philandering, and moved out of the family home. Hilario blamed Marce for this, and disowned her. Liway (and her oldest daughter Layla) came to Marce's rescue: giving her a new place to stay, helping her pay for her college tuition, and shouldering some law school expenses. Liway became one of Marce's best allies in the latter's activist ventures, imparting valuable advice from her own experiences in the struggle, and giving practical help time and again. To this day, they are so much more like friends.
Emil: This had to happen while Emil was a law student. He had put his foot down on a number of things: he wasn't going to go into corporate law and marry some rich woman. He was intent on becoming a defense lawyer specializing in labor and civil cases, and he was going to marry Marce regardless of what anyone would have to say about the matter. Martha, who up to this point had been trying to dictate Emil's choices, realized that her son had his own life to live. It took some time for her to accept this. Currently she's resisting the urge to lapse back into old habits and become the Grandmother-smother to her grandchildren. Emil on the other hand never could look at Juliana as a 'friend' owing to the reverence he has for his grandmother's age!
Ida: It hasn't happened yet. Ida has been trying to learn to stand alone without her mother influencing her every turn. But it could happen now that Ida and Mark have moved their family far away from their hometown, away from Edna's influence.
Mark: It hasn't happened yet. Patricia is still fiercely protective of Mark (and by extension of Ida and the kids). But it could happen now that Mark lives in a different city.
Lize: It never happened. Lize was still quite dependent on Natalie when the latter died.
Darren: Rowena still can't accept Darren's sexuality or his life choices (to become an actor, to move abroad, etc.) It's probably not going to happen now that Darren has moved to California.
5. If your character has children (or plans to), how did their mother's parenting style influence the character's own? (can be positive or negative influence)
Marce: One thing that Marce fears is fading into the background and becoming unable to stand up for her children or have a career, like what happened to Liway. This is why Marce still insists on working as a prosecutor, despite having two small children to care for. She prefers to lug her kids with her instead of staying at home. She also does not mind when her daughter Alix gets tomboyish, having learned a thing or two about what *not* to say, thanks to Liway. Marce makes an effort to really bond with her kids, just to give them the warm childhood she never had. Inasmuch as she loves Emil very much, she has no qualms about telling him he's wrong or mistaken if he's making a parenting blunder or two.
Emil: Emil makes it a point to get involved in his kids' lives instead of letting Marce take sole responsibility for them. One reason he married Marce was that she was nothing like Martha, as far as having smother tendencies was concerned. He also knows better than to plan his kids' lives out now; he doesn't mind when Andrei shows more of an interest in engineering than law, and he actually *likes* it when Alix becomes a bookish tomboy. Emil doesn't take many cues from Juliana when it comes to parenting, though he figures that when Andrei gets older, he'll have to teach the same chivalry his grandmother instilled in him.
Ida: As a result of her experiences with Edna, Ida encourages or even pushes her kids to talk about their problems instead of concealing them. However she's a little reluctant to impose a strict values system on her children, having no wish to be as 'conservative' as her mother was. This sometimes leads to a few problems, especially when her kids get a little older.
Mark: Thankfully Mark learned well enough from his grandmother how to raise a kid with values without being too imposing. So really, he's the one with a lot of the credit for his kids even having values. His being adopted has given him a soft spot too for abandoned children, which is part of why he has now adopted two children (in addition to the two he already has with Ida, and the third they're expecting soon).
Lize: Natalie taught Lize well in terms of the things one should know in handling little girls. It's this closeness with her own mother that encourages Lize to take her daughters with her when she has to break up with her husband. However Natalie's emotional absence during Lize's teenage years is likely to leave poor Lize at a loss as to how to handle her girls once they hit puberty.
Darren: If Darren ever adopts kids, he's sure he's not going to do what his mom did and bully the kid about life choices. Actually inwardly, he's a little afraid of adopting kids, since he's sure that Rowena's parenting screwed him up, (Too bad, since in the RP-verse, Darren's current boyfriend does want kids, just not now?)
6. Did mom have any sayings, quirks, or rules that still influence the character's thoughts or behavior? (you'll put your eye out with that crossbow!, don't wear white before labor day, etc.)
Marce: Liway used to insist on having everyone home for family dinner. Marce still abides by this rule, no matter how busy she and Emil can get at work. Liway was also an activist during her days as a young bride, a trait she seems to have passed to Marce. The two love to talk politics.
Emil: If for anything, Martha is the one who taught Emil to remember to check his pockets every time he goes out. This is one reason that Emil gets late sometimes for appointments. On the other hand, Juliana's influence is more apparent; to this day, Emil still likes swing dancing, is still conversant in Spanish, and is an old-fashioned gentleman around Marce.
Ida: Edna instilled in Ida a healthy dislike for the materialistic world. This is why Ida to this day eschews glamor and riches, though she and Mark are considerably well-off. Ida has also inherited Edna's being thrifty.
Mark: He doesn't really know it, but Mark has inherited a lot of Mara's quirks and habits. Mara was a chemical engineering student who liked jasmine tea. Mark is also an engineer, and never ever drinks coffee on the job. He's an avid tea drinker. However Mark has picked up Patricia's taste for simple, child-proof house interiors, and Soledad's taste for rich and spicy food.
Lize: "The worse you feel, the better you should look". Lize has taken this to heart, and thus hardly ever has a hair out of place, even if she's down with a cold, feeling fat thanks to being pregnant, or miserable thanks to her ex.
Darren: Rowena will never admit this, but she was the one who introduced Darren to the stage. Darren knows this is the only thing (besides raising him) that he can thank his mother for.
7. What role (if any) does your character's mother play in his or her story?
Marce: Initially Liway is an example of what Marce does *not* want to become: spineless, voiceless, weak, and always suffering. After Liway finds her own strength to leave her husband and have a life of her own, she becomes a role model to Marce and some of her other daughters. Liway becomes a helpful guide to Marce in the latter's ventures. She helps Marce out a great deal with practical matters (like watching the kids), and most importantly, in her recovery from a horrible case of PTSD.
Emil: Martha is a source of pressure (in good and bad ways) for Emil. At some point she also becomes a surrogate mother to Marce, and comes to her defense multiple times later in the story once she's accepted Marce as a daughter-in-law. She also is more than eager to baby-sit any of Emil's kids. On the other hand, Juliana is a role model for Emil, at least when it comes to the kind of strength he wants in a woman. Juliana is the one who fiercely supports Emil's choices in life, and can be credited for helping the Delos Reyes family accept Marce.
Ida: Edna is a source of guidance sometimes for Ida, but also a source of internal conflict. Ida is grateful to her, but still quite angry for the 'lost years'; the times when Edna was not there for her.
Mark: Mara is not there for virtually the entire story, at least till Mark tracks her down out of gratefulness. However her influence is definitely there; the very fact he's alive is a testimony to that. Patricia plays a small role in Mark's story, just giving emotional support when he needs it, and teaching him how to raise his eldest child (he adopted Nina when he was still a college student!!). Soledad though is the 'chessmaster' in Mark's life: she arranged for him to go to a technical school instead of an uppity private school so that he would remain out of bad company and foster his interest in engineering. She allowed Mark to coax Ida into house-sitting/caring for her one summer, on the pretext of testing Ida, when the reality was that she was *grooming* Ida to become a better partner for Mark. She even encouraged Mark to adopt Nina, knowing this would give him more reason to get a good job after college, to propose to Ida, and make something of himself.
Lize: Natalie is hardly there. Her death though serves as the beginning of Lize's psychopathology----which drives her to give up her dancing, a promising career in Tokyo, and all to marry a guy who eventually nearly ruined her.
Darren: Rowena is definitely a source of angst and grief for Darren. She nearly shanghais him into a life as a business student (but fortunately one of Darren's friends saves him by telling him how to wrangle a compromise with his parents). She goes ballistic when Darren comes out of the closet. Inasmuch as Darren wants to reconcile with her, she refuses to accept it for as long as he is still homosexual. As of now, Rowena and Darren are no longer in touch.
8. Does your relationship with your own mother influence how you write your character's relationship with his or her mother? Why or why not?
Many aspects of my own experiences with my mother are included in the stories of Marce and Ida. In particular, the character of Marce is based a little on my own mother's personality as a young activist working in the political opposition versus an authoritarian regime. Some of what Ida goes through with Edna has its roots in my own troubles with my mother during my teenage years. However most of the other mother-child relationships in my stories are based on my friends and THEIR mothers.
1. Is your character's mother alive, or deceased? If alive, what kind of health / shape is she in? If not, how did she die?
Marce: Her mother (Liway Dimatulac-Benitez) is very much alive. She's a very healthy woman nowadays, owing to the fact that she's not depressed and has much less to worry about since she's living on her own.
Emil: His mother (Martha Galvez-Delos Reyes) is also alive. She's got hypertension, but no real health concerns besides this. Emil also looked to his grandmother (Juliana Galvez) as a sort of mother figure. She passed on from old age when Emil was already an adult.
Ida: Her mother (Edna Ramirez-Almario) is alive, and has diabetes.
Mark: His biological mother (Mara Sanchez) hasn't been heard from for years, but she's presumably alive. His adoptive mother (Patricia Figueroa-Lorenz) is alive but getting on in years, with some osteoporosis to deal with.
Lize: Her mother (Natalie Reyes-Sanchez) passed on when Lize was a teenager. Natalie had heart disease, and died of heart failure in her own bed one afternoon, before her daughter could call the paramedics.
Darren: His mother (Rowena Acosta Dela Vega) is still alive. She's getting on in years too, and has had a few heart attacks.
2. Was she married, or a single parent? A young or older woman when she gave birth to your character? How many children does she have?
Marce: Liway was very much married. She was around twenty-six when she gave birth to Marce, who is the third of five daughters.
Emil: Martha was also married. She was around twenty-four when she had Emil. She had three other sons after him.
Ida: Edna was in her late twenties when she had Ida. She had two more children after, a boy and a girl.
Mark: Mara was only eighteen when she conceived Mark. She had to give him up for adoption (thanks to the more punitive attitudes concerning illegitimacy in the late 80s). On the other hand, Patricia was nearly thirty-three, and had been married for some years when she adopted Mark, who is her only child.
Lize: Natalie was twenty-four when she had Lize, who is her only child.
Darren: Rowena was thirty-three when she had Darren, who is the youngest of her six children.
3. What sort of mother was she to your character when they were small? How did the relationship change as your char grew up?
Marce: Liway was an overburdened mother, being stuck as a housewife raising five girls while her husband Hilario struggled in the workplace. Liway tended to take Hilario's side over the girls' whenever issues came up. A big point of contention was Marce not being 'lady-like' and Liway presumably letting her run wild when the truth was that Liway had no idea how to deal with Marce's interests and personality. These were the reasons that during her teenage years, Marce was a little estranged and frustrated with Liway. It was only when Marce turned eighteen that they became close again, after Hilario disowned Marce following a family fight. Liway realized that she and Marce had much more in common than anyone realized, and their relationship began to mend.
Emil: Martha was a very controlling, overbearing mother who had lots of expectations for her boys, especially once she gave up on ever having a daughter. She hardly let her husband Francis step in for parenting, unless it was for discipline or managing finances. She imagined a 'perfect' family: one son as a doctor, another a lawyer, another a businessman, and one a priest. When she realized that wasn't going to happen owing to her three younger boys' quirks and problems, Emil became her only hope for a 'well-behaved, proper son'. She eventually did ease up on the pressure when Emil was in college and proving that he could be more than responsible. The trouble only began again when Emil began getting serious with Marce (who Martha liked as a 'sister' for Emil owing to their strong friendship), and Martha was not entirely approving of their relationship building up to a marriage. As for Juliana, she treated Emil like a 'gentleman-in-training', and wasn't afraid to teach him things she thought would be useful to him as a grown up. Well, if one counts swing dancing and Spanish as useful.
Ida: Edna was quite hands-on with her children, being determined to raise a proper Christian family with conservative values. Ida and Edna's relationship was seriously strained during Ida's teenage years, when Ida suffered from depression. Edna and the rest of the family tried covering it up instead of getting help for Ida. After Ida's recovery, they've been on the mend but they still cannot be under the same roof for longer than a week without some conflict arising.
Mark: Mark remembers nothing of Mara, though he's grateful that she fought for his right to live instead of aborting him. He hardly remembers Patricia though, since the latter left much of his upbringing to his adoptive grandmother Soledad. Soledad was a stern but affectionate woman who knew how to make an awkward child feel welcome in an otherwise conservative family. This is why Mark is much, much closer to Soledad (to the point of seeking her approval, and not his mother's, when he wanted to present Ida to the family as his girlfriend!) Patricia though got to be 'reacquainted' with her son after the latter adopted his first child Nina.
Lize: Natalie and Lize were very close, owing to the latter being an only child. However when Natalie became ill, she was less involved in Lize's life. She gave over a lot of the decision-making to her husband Raymond at this point, not knowing or realizing that Ray was too strict as a parent. She died not knowing just how much trouble her daughter was getting into.
Darren:Rowena was a glamorous, easygoing woman who unfortunately, left Darren to the care of nannies and his older siblings. Their relationship, which was never close to begin with, only got worse when Darren came out of the closet!
4. Was there ever / could there ever be a time when your character and mom were more like friends than parent and child?
Marce: This already began to happen when Marce was a college student. At this point, Liway learned about Hilario's philandering, and moved out of the family home. Hilario blamed Marce for this, and disowned her. Liway (and her oldest daughter Layla) came to Marce's rescue: giving her a new place to stay, helping her pay for her college tuition, and shouldering some law school expenses. Liway became one of Marce's best allies in the latter's activist ventures, imparting valuable advice from her own experiences in the struggle, and giving practical help time and again. To this day, they are so much more like friends.
Emil: This had to happen while Emil was a law student. He had put his foot down on a number of things: he wasn't going to go into corporate law and marry some rich woman. He was intent on becoming a defense lawyer specializing in labor and civil cases, and he was going to marry Marce regardless of what anyone would have to say about the matter. Martha, who up to this point had been trying to dictate Emil's choices, realized that her son had his own life to live. It took some time for her to accept this. Currently she's resisting the urge to lapse back into old habits and become the Grandmother-smother to her grandchildren. Emil on the other hand never could look at Juliana as a 'friend' owing to the reverence he has for his grandmother's age!
Ida: It hasn't happened yet. Ida has been trying to learn to stand alone without her mother influencing her every turn. But it could happen now that Ida and Mark have moved their family far away from their hometown, away from Edna's influence.
Mark: It hasn't happened yet. Patricia is still fiercely protective of Mark (and by extension of Ida and the kids). But it could happen now that Mark lives in a different city.
Lize: It never happened. Lize was still quite dependent on Natalie when the latter died.
Darren: Rowena still can't accept Darren's sexuality or his life choices (to become an actor, to move abroad, etc.) It's probably not going to happen now that Darren has moved to California.
5. If your character has children (or plans to), how did their mother's parenting style influence the character's own? (can be positive or negative influence)
Marce: One thing that Marce fears is fading into the background and becoming unable to stand up for her children or have a career, like what happened to Liway. This is why Marce still insists on working as a prosecutor, despite having two small children to care for. She prefers to lug her kids with her instead of staying at home. She also does not mind when her daughter Alix gets tomboyish, having learned a thing or two about what *not* to say, thanks to Liway. Marce makes an effort to really bond with her kids, just to give them the warm childhood she never had. Inasmuch as she loves Emil very much, she has no qualms about telling him he's wrong or mistaken if he's making a parenting blunder or two.
Emil: Emil makes it a point to get involved in his kids' lives instead of letting Marce take sole responsibility for them. One reason he married Marce was that she was nothing like Martha, as far as having smother tendencies was concerned. He also knows better than to plan his kids' lives out now; he doesn't mind when Andrei shows more of an interest in engineering than law, and he actually *likes* it when Alix becomes a bookish tomboy. Emil doesn't take many cues from Juliana when it comes to parenting, though he figures that when Andrei gets older, he'll have to teach the same chivalry his grandmother instilled in him.
Ida: As a result of her experiences with Edna, Ida encourages or even pushes her kids to talk about their problems instead of concealing them. However she's a little reluctant to impose a strict values system on her children, having no wish to be as 'conservative' as her mother was. This sometimes leads to a few problems, especially when her kids get a little older.
Mark: Thankfully Mark learned well enough from his grandmother how to raise a kid with values without being too imposing. So really, he's the one with a lot of the credit for his kids even having values. His being adopted has given him a soft spot too for abandoned children, which is part of why he has now adopted two children (in addition to the two he already has with Ida, and the third they're expecting soon).
Lize: Natalie taught Lize well in terms of the things one should know in handling little girls. It's this closeness with her own mother that encourages Lize to take her daughters with her when she has to break up with her husband. However Natalie's emotional absence during Lize's teenage years is likely to leave poor Lize at a loss as to how to handle her girls once they hit puberty.
Darren: If Darren ever adopts kids, he's sure he's not going to do what his mom did and bully the kid about life choices. Actually inwardly, he's a little afraid of adopting kids, since he's sure that Rowena's parenting screwed him up, (Too bad, since in the RP-verse, Darren's current boyfriend does want kids, just not now?)
6. Did mom have any sayings, quirks, or rules that still influence the character's thoughts or behavior? (you'll put your eye out with that crossbow!, don't wear white before labor day, etc.)
Marce: Liway used to insist on having everyone home for family dinner. Marce still abides by this rule, no matter how busy she and Emil can get at work. Liway was also an activist during her days as a young bride, a trait she seems to have passed to Marce. The two love to talk politics.
Emil: If for anything, Martha is the one who taught Emil to remember to check his pockets every time he goes out. This is one reason that Emil gets late sometimes for appointments. On the other hand, Juliana's influence is more apparent; to this day, Emil still likes swing dancing, is still conversant in Spanish, and is an old-fashioned gentleman around Marce.
Ida: Edna instilled in Ida a healthy dislike for the materialistic world. This is why Ida to this day eschews glamor and riches, though she and Mark are considerably well-off. Ida has also inherited Edna's being thrifty.
Mark: He doesn't really know it, but Mark has inherited a lot of Mara's quirks and habits. Mara was a chemical engineering student who liked jasmine tea. Mark is also an engineer, and never ever drinks coffee on the job. He's an avid tea drinker. However Mark has picked up Patricia's taste for simple, child-proof house interiors, and Soledad's taste for rich and spicy food.
Lize: "The worse you feel, the better you should look". Lize has taken this to heart, and thus hardly ever has a hair out of place, even if she's down with a cold, feeling fat thanks to being pregnant, or miserable thanks to her ex.
Darren: Rowena will never admit this, but she was the one who introduced Darren to the stage. Darren knows this is the only thing (besides raising him) that he can thank his mother for.
7. What role (if any) does your character's mother play in his or her story?
Marce: Initially Liway is an example of what Marce does *not* want to become: spineless, voiceless, weak, and always suffering. After Liway finds her own strength to leave her husband and have a life of her own, she becomes a role model to Marce and some of her other daughters. Liway becomes a helpful guide to Marce in the latter's ventures. She helps Marce out a great deal with practical matters (like watching the kids), and most importantly, in her recovery from a horrible case of PTSD.
Emil: Martha is a source of pressure (in good and bad ways) for Emil. At some point she also becomes a surrogate mother to Marce, and comes to her defense multiple times later in the story once she's accepted Marce as a daughter-in-law. She also is more than eager to baby-sit any of Emil's kids. On the other hand, Juliana is a role model for Emil, at least when it comes to the kind of strength he wants in a woman. Juliana is the one who fiercely supports Emil's choices in life, and can be credited for helping the Delos Reyes family accept Marce.
Ida: Edna is a source of guidance sometimes for Ida, but also a source of internal conflict. Ida is grateful to her, but still quite angry for the 'lost years'; the times when Edna was not there for her.
Mark: Mara is not there for virtually the entire story, at least till Mark tracks her down out of gratefulness. However her influence is definitely there; the very fact he's alive is a testimony to that. Patricia plays a small role in Mark's story, just giving emotional support when he needs it, and teaching him how to raise his eldest child (he adopted Nina when he was still a college student!!). Soledad though is the 'chessmaster' in Mark's life: she arranged for him to go to a technical school instead of an uppity private school so that he would remain out of bad company and foster his interest in engineering. She allowed Mark to coax Ida into house-sitting/caring for her one summer, on the pretext of testing Ida, when the reality was that she was *grooming* Ida to become a better partner for Mark. She even encouraged Mark to adopt Nina, knowing this would give him more reason to get a good job after college, to propose to Ida, and make something of himself.
Lize: Natalie is hardly there. Her death though serves as the beginning of Lize's psychopathology----which drives her to give up her dancing, a promising career in Tokyo, and all to marry a guy who eventually nearly ruined her.
Darren: Rowena is definitely a source of angst and grief for Darren. She nearly shanghais him into a life as a business student (but fortunately one of Darren's friends saves him by telling him how to wrangle a compromise with his parents). She goes ballistic when Darren comes out of the closet. Inasmuch as Darren wants to reconcile with her, she refuses to accept it for as long as he is still homosexual. As of now, Rowena and Darren are no longer in touch.
8. Does your relationship with your own mother influence how you write your character's relationship with his or her mother? Why or why not?
Many aspects of my own experiences with my mother are included in the stories of Marce and Ida. In particular, the character of Marce is based a little on my own mother's personality as a young activist working in the political opposition versus an authoritarian regime. Some of what Ida goes through with Edna has its roots in my own troubles with my mother during my teenage years. However most of the other mother-child relationships in my stories are based on my friends and THEIR mothers.