White Oleander: Motherhood, Beauty and Love

The Oleander itself strives under intensely hot and dry weather, particularly in Southern California, where the novel takes place. The flower stands as a symbol for motherhood, both strong and tough under the worst of situations. The main character, Astrid's mother Ingrid, proves to be just as the Oleander, staying strong even when convicted of murdering her faithless lover, and is sent to prison.

For Astrid, her mother is the first and most important figure in her life. As most young girls do, Astrid idolizes her. She watches Ingrid's every movement and dreams of being one day exactly like her. As a child, Astrid is constantly feeling the guilt of holding her mother back from the life she truly wishes to live. “I knew the only reason we were here was because of me. “If it weren't for me, she wouldn't have to take jobs like this. She would be half a planet away, floating in a turquoise sea, dancing by moonlight to flamenco gui

Astrid is ceaselessly searching for love until the very end, even when loss is invariably a constant. She loses her mother when she is sent to prison. She loses Ray when she is sent to another foster home and he leaves her. She loses her only friend Olivia when she carelessly leaves town with out informing Astrid. Most heartbreakingly, she loses Claire who was the one person who showed her what it was like to be a loved and appreciated daughter and what it was like to have a caring mother-daughter relationship. Yet despite all this pain and heartbreak, love proves to be so powerful that she continues to seek it out.

As do most children, Astrid becomes a product of her environment and finds herself adapting Ingrid's views on the importance of beauty in her own life. After Astrid is the victim of a dog attack which leaves her face tom and ruined, Astrid's esteem drops. When she loses her beauty she feels as if she has lost her identity. Losing what her mother taught her to be the most important trait in her life was so devastating to Astrid that she began to seriously contemplate suicide regularly. Later in the novel, Astrid has an affair with a handsome, but ultimately empty man named Sergei. “Beauty was empty as a gourd, vain as a parakeet. But it had power. It smelled of musk and oranges and made you close your eyes in prayer” (Fitch, 365). Here, Astrid describes how powerless she feels being surrounded by Sergei who possesses so much beauty. She is incredibly insightful in the fact that she knows how barren beauty truly is, yet she recognizes the power it still wields over her.

Ingrid recognizes how much power she holds as a mother, and uses it to control Astrid's life, even from prison. From the time Astrid is able to speak, Ingrid forces her to memorize poetry although Astrid does not necessarily enjoy it. What's more, Ingrid imposes all of her views onto young her daughter. “[Astrid] is mesmerized by her mother's beauty and by her insistence that the two of them are superior to everyone else” (Benedic). Ingrid instructs her twelve year old daughter on men and lovers, informing her to only take handsome lovers and to never allow a man to stay the night. Once Ingrid is imprisoned, she continues to control Astrid's life. When Ingrid sees her daughter becoming too comfortable with her new foster mother, Claire, Ingrid furtively uses her manipulative words to attack Claire through her weaknesses, eventually resulting in Claire's suicide. This event leaves Astrid back where Ingrid wants her, unhappy and desperate for the love of her mother. We see here "how very much children need their parents and about how much power even the worst parent wields over a child” (Kades). Ingrid continues to send Astrid letters from prison which are harsh, painful and usually keep Astrid right under her thumb.

"Fitch manages to make Astrid's challenge the challenge of every young girl in the world: to separate and yet keep the love of her mother” (Benedict). This proves to be true when throughout the novel Astrid is continuously searching for the love and acceptance of her own mother, which ties back to the maternal bond between them. Astrid's desire to find love is driven by fe

Some topics in this essay:
Kolker Ingrid, Barry Kolker, Southern California, Fitch Astrid, White Oleander, Paul Trout, Lastly Ingrid, California Fitch, Kades Ingrid, Benedic Ingrid, white oleander, foster mother, control astrid's life, ingrid begins, prison astrid, sent prison, despite pain, searching love, dog attack, novel astrid, life astrid,