October 19, 2016 - 00:00
Even though Parks makes the repossession and reclamation of Mother the object of Beede’s journey, the Beede family is nevertheless very alienated from mother views her life as dysfunctional. Billy, especially appears to be alienated from mother. She contends that Willa Mae was “a liar and a cheat” who got “locked up in jail every time she turned around. Always talking big and never amounting to nothing” (Parks 9). She says that she doesn’t mind if Willa Mae’s grave is “paved over” proclaiming that “Willa Mae can stay where she’s at” once she retrieves “the treasure she left me” (44, 106). Billy makes it obvious that she feels alienated from Mother when she insists that “I ain’t no Willa Mae” (18) Dill Smiles believes that “Billy was glad when Willa Mae passed” (22). In truth, Dill was “glad to see her dead” (114). As far as her family and past lover are concerned, that Willa Mae died after attempting a self-administered abortion before abortions were legal and generally accessible makes her no maryr in the struggle for reproductive rights. In spite of the treasure they think is buried with her, they see Mother herself as not much more than buried trash.
Although, they have been very alienated from Mother, nevertheless, the Beede family sees the treasure buried with Willa Mae’s body not as a disruptive force but as a source of restored harmony. They hope her jewelry will provide an abortion for Billy, a prosthesis for June, and new self-esteem for Teddy. With Willa Mae’s body lies a restorative treasure. The family has to free her body from the swallowing grave in order to gain access to that treasure.