mother in laws

The Brooch by Faulkner exposed a relationship between three members of a family. The relationship between the mother and the son showed a controlling mother who didn’t let her son date much of anything, let alone leave the house. The other relationship I found interesting was the mother and daughter in law relationship. I feel as if this is a relationship that is dreaded by all new wives who are anxious to meet their mother in laws and their new family.
The relationship between Howard and his mother is a strange one. It gets particularly strange when she moves to Charlottesville to live near him while he was in college. I am surprised he didn’t die of embarrassment when that occurred. I couldn’t tell whether this relationship between son and mother could have been sexual or not. I lean towards the “not”, because the reader can tell the mother really cares for her son and I cannot see her physically abusing him. I can see her mentally abusing him though. All the years he is made to take care of her and given no freedom to grow and build relations with females.
Amy and her mother in law also have a very complex relationship. I feel as if the brooch is curse. I don’t think it was given to Amy as a blessing of love, I think it was given to her in order to have the mother in law on her mind the entire time she was wearing it. My favorite line of the short story is when Amy says, “I’m scared of your mother.” I think this is a great line and prefaces the entire relationship they will have together. Howard is now not only tortured by his mother, but by his wife.