Yaacoobi 1

Heela Yaacoobi
Professor Orta
English-123-2028
16 March 2017
Mother Figures
Family dynamics are ever-changing in order to conform to the sociocultural status quo of

the time. How a family functions and survives within their political and economic position is

often translated into the way they engage with other and how others perceive them. In Gennifer

Choldenkos Al Capone Does My Homework, we are introduced to three families who reside on

the island of Alcatraz. Each of these families has a different political position on the island, and

varying degrees of economic prosperity. Accompanying these unique aspects of the families is

social behavior. Each of these families has its own overall social behaviors and beliefs, which are

often influenced by their standing in life. For example, the Flanagans are very empathetic and

patient people. This is most likely because they have had to deal with Natalie, and expect the

same empathy from the other families and people on the island. The Trixles, on the other hand,

have more of a hostile and accusatory aura to their family. This could be because of their

political position on the island, and how Cam was promoted to Associate Warden over Darby.

The Mattamans apartment is where most of the children congregate in their free time. The

Mattaman family has the most children out of all of the families we are introduced to in the

novel. This could have some correlation to the fact that other children on the island feel

comfortable hanging out there. In analyzing the connection between Characterization and

Representation in the novel, one can look to the mother figures of the families to highlight how

disparities in social, economic, and political statuses can affect their interactions on the island.

Helen Flanagan is one of the most neutral characters in the book. However, we can see

that she is under a tremendous amount of stress throughout the novel. On one hand, her
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husbands new promotion to Associate Warden heightens her fear for his safety; but it seems that

she suppresses her feelings because Moose, who feels that he must take responsibility for

everything, will start to worry as well. The reader witnesses this early on in the book, on Cam

Flanagans first day. You nervous? I ask my father Hes fine, my mother calls (3). On the

other hand, she has to take care of Natalie, and the stigma that comes with being a mother of an

autistic child. The reader can see her quickly lose her strength after she gets off the phone with

Natalies school, When my mother hangs up, she sits down on the crate . She lets her head

fall into her hands (86). We can see that Mrs. Flanagan tries very hard to hold herself and her

family together through tough times, but it can be hard because at the time, no one really

understand what autism is. She is the only mother on the island who has a child with special

needs, and that definitely changes her and her familys outlook on life and the concept of

empathy. Being the Associate Wardens wife, Helen feels that her and her family have bigger

shoes to fill, We have to work twice as hard now, Moose. Natalies the wardens daughter (9).

She has to struggle with teaching Natalie how to behave, raising a teenage boy, and having her

husband working with dangerous convicts. Thus, proving that her position takes a great deal of

strength, empathy, and patience, which rounds her off as a likeable character.

Bea Trixle is an easy character to understand in this novel. The audience sees the hatred

she spews, and also sees the many reasons behind it. Beas political position is lower than that of

Helen Flanagan, and could contribute to why she was trying to accuse Natalie of the fire right

away, You keep an eye on her, you hear. I wont have my family burned alive because of a

retarded girl (31). Because, of course, being promoted to a higher position comes with a boost

in salary as well. It seems as if sheer jealousy propels Beas hatred for the Flanagans. However,

jealousy is not the only reason Mrs. Trixle has for resenting Natalie. Her own daughter, Janet,
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shows signs of needing special attention when she speaks of her imaginary pixies as being real,

The pixies find things in the sand, she whispers. Not the pixies again, Bea snaps (115).

Bea could see Natalie and be frightened by the similarities Janet shares with her, making her

want to get rid of Natalie, as we see later on in the novel.

The baking, cooking, mother of three, Anna Maria Mattaman, acts as the neighborhood

mother. The children of Alcatraz like to use her house to gather and grab a snack, and she

doesnt mind at all. Mrs. Mattamans motherly instincts are strong, as exemplified after the fire

when Bea asks if Anna Maria will take the children into her care, I dont think Jimmy and

Theresa consulted her; still Mrs. Mattaman doesnt skip a beat. Thats the plan (29). Having

three children of her own to take care of, Mrs. Mattaman not only empathizes with the

Flanagans, but also remains neutral to Bea Trixle, as proven in the scene where Anna Maria

shows Bea the mysterious blue dress. The Mattamans are the least economically stable family on

the island. Being a stay-at-home mother with three children lays all of the financial burden on

Mr. Mattaman, who survives off of a guards salary. Helen and Bea are both employed; Helen

teaches music and Bea runs the islands grocery store. Nevertheless, Jimmy does help his family

out financially by working at Bea Trixles store. The Mattamans remain neutral throughout the

whole novel, and connect with both the Flanagans and the Trixles.

Families gather their beliefs and ideals through their social, cultural, and economic

standings. One can usually gather a familys model through the mother figure of the family, as

they are the ones who are usually raising the children and instilling the family morals and beliefs

into them. The mothers of Al Capone Does My Shirts are no different; their principles are

represented through their children and husbands as well. Characterization is a key aspect of

fiction and helps us connect to the main theme through unique characters. Representation goes
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hand-in-hand with Characterization in that it highlights the portrayal of the characters and the

hidden tones behind them.

Works Cited

Choldenko, Gennifer. Al Capone Does My Homework. NY, NY, Puffin Books, 2014.