How does the author develop the central idea across these passages? Alvarez describes how she and her mother were emotionally distant, but once she moved to Vermont, her mother was finally able to bestow praise.
Alvarez describes events in her childhood to show how the relationship between her and her mother was strained, but improved as she grew older.
Alvarez traces moments that highlight her mother’s desire for silence, culminating in the moment her mother expressed pride in her writing.
Alvarez explains the difficulty she had in going against her mother’s wishes to write about their experiences and how it was worth it in the end.