Who are the best literary "Mom" characters?

[PashaRu]

Clara Copperfield, David Copperfield's mother. Dickens evokes such empathy and (later) pathos for her, and imbues his scenes with her with wonderful, soft affection. She is frail and innocent, but these qualities are filtered through David's eyes and add to, rather than subtract from, her character. We love her because David loves her. She is a secondary character in terms of page count, but both her presence and absence are always there, if not overtly, then just below the surface of the narrative.

[heathersusanne]

Yeah, we are onto an alternative mom kick!

-- 28 Apr 2015, 21:43 --

There's Caroline Ingalls from Little House in the Big Woods, etc.

In The Thorn Birds, my favorite part of it is at the very end, where Meggie writes a letter to her daughter, Justine. That's all it is--just a letter. It was a beautiful letter, and I think it had all of her acquired wisdom in it.

-- 28 Apr 2015, 21:44 --

It was very heartfelt, and The Thorn Birds might be my favorite book ever. Have you read that one?

I'm finding that in all the books that I have read, there are so many classics that I haven't met yet. That would be The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough?

-- 28 Apr 2015, 19:22 --

Clara Copperfield, David Copperfield's mother. Dickens evokes such empathy and (later) pathos for her, and imbues his scenes with her with wonderful, soft affection. She is frail and innocent, but these qualities are filtered through David's eyes and add to, rather than subtract from, her character. We love her because David loves her. She is a secondary character in terms of page count, but both her presence and absence are always there, if not overtly, then just below the surface of the narrative.

That's an incredibly observant response. Thank you for your attentive input. When I read David Copperfield, I will pay special heed to his mother. Thank you.

[zeldas_lullaby]

Yep, Colleen McCullough. Oh, that book is amazing!

[DATo]

Mrs. Brown - The mother in National Velvet, by Enid Bagnold.

[EricaB]

I mostly agree with the list so far, but I find this a hard list to make, since a great deal of main characters in stories are orphans. My favorite is Molly Weasley, but not just because she's a good mom. She is a mom to all people who come into her house, which I find is the most amazing skill ever. It doesn't matter if you already have a mother, she will love you the same as all her children.

[heathersusanne]

Mrs. Brown - The mother in National Velvet, by Enid Bagnold.

I forgot about National Velvet. It actually used to be my very favorite movie. Thanks for the input!

-- 04 May 2015, 14:57 --

I mostly agree with the list so far, but I find this a hard list to make, since a great deal of main characters in stories are orphans. My favorite is Molly Weasley, but not just because she's a good mom. She is a mom to all people who come into her house, which I find is the most amazing skill ever. It doesn't matter if you already have a mother, she will love you the same as all her children.

I agree. That's why I wanted to compose the list. I love Molly Weasly. She definitely has a firm place on my list, even if all she did was raise the twins. Good God they were hellions.

[Sarah Clay]

Mrs. Weasley and Mrs. Potter, for sure.

Other than those two, probably Mrs. Lancaster from The Fault in Our Stars.

[Aadila]

Molly Weasley from Harry Potter. She is warm, loving and caring. She really worries about her kids and other peoples children too. She makes everyone feel welcome. A helpful friendly lady who has genuine concern, with no hidden motive. for other people, a rare trait these days.

[Max Tyrone]

Meursault's mom in The Stranger by Albert Camus... just kidding.

I haven't come across any mothers I would like to have mother me, based on the facts that I couldn't see myself being raised by any other woman than my mom, and that the mothers in the novels I've read aren't quite exemplary. Interesting, but not for me.

I find Addie Bundren from Faulkner's As I Lay Dying very interesting, and her contribution to the plot is pivotal in the middle of the novel. I enjoyed reading on Irene Reilly, mother to Ignatius R., as she eventually learned to stand up to her ruthlessly pedantic son in John Kennedy Toole's novel A Confederacy of Dunces. I also have a fondness for Ursula Iguaran of Garcia Marquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude as she defies most cookie-cutter mothers and triumphs where the men of her family fail, living to see her children pass away and well into posterity.

I know it's way past Mother's Day, but I wanted to make a contribution to the topic in general.