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Post by Nittanylizard on May 19, 2007 22:49:11 GMT -5
I also always pictured her as there, but the dad is the one who has the biggest impact on Steve. In my head, she's an okay mom, but doesn't interfere when her husband gets angry with Steve, even if she doesn't feel right about it. Like, she fusses a little more over Steve and makes some cookies, maybe tries to justify the way the dad acts, but it's more to make herself feel better.
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Post by queenjaneapprxmtly on May 19, 2007 23:28:54 GMT -5
I just had this idea that she and Steve's father got a divorce, or something. I always wondered about her, but I can't really picture her, either.
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Post by Tensleep on May 20, 2007 1:40:35 GMT -5
I actually had to think on this one for my Canadian Cousin piece.
Basically I have her written as a woman who is only tied to her husband through marriage. She's having an affair and Steve kind of thinks she's betrayed their family even more than his dad has. So to him, he really doesn't have a mother in my mind. But that's still in the 'things to come' part of this story, so yeah.
Another theory I like is that she's pretty cowed by her husband and she's intimidated enough to let what will happen to her son happen without stalling the inevitable. Both are kind of sad.
See ya in the funny papers!!!
Tens
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Post by These Trick Questions on May 21, 2007 16:42:17 GMT -5
I was actually thinking about Steve's mom the other day. (I'm trying to get the motivation to write chapter 4 for Rock Solid.) There were two scenarios that came to me. The first one, that immediately popped into my head, was that she was pretty much head-over-heels in love with her husband, despite what he does to her son and, possibly, to her.
The other one was that she left, but I like my first one better.
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Post by printandpolish on May 21, 2007 17:39:26 GMT -5
I've always pictured her as an abused wife. I figured if Steve's dad knocks him around when he drinks, he's controlling and nasty when he gets booze in him, so why wouldn't he also take that out on his wife? It might not be physical abuse, but I imagine her as a woman who feels she has to stay married to him since he pays the bills (and divorce was less heard of then) and she walks on eggshells around him and tries to get Steve to do the same.
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Post by silverchameleon on May 22, 2007 6:48:06 GMT -5
I always imagined her pretty much exactly the way NittanyLizard describes her. I'd never really considered any other option.
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Post by printandpolish on May 22, 2007 20:48:26 GMT -5
My memory (and I'm not bothering to look it up at the moment) is that Steve's dad gets drunk and knocks him around, then feels bad when he sobers up and gives him money to make up for it. No?
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Post by zevie on May 22, 2007 20:48:28 GMT -5
Emotionally abusive, I think. Although, I've been iffy on this subject as well. Dealing with an out-of-control teenager is difficult, and when you feel like there's nothing you can do to get through to them, and they're your kid... I mean, it'd be hard to just stand back and watch when you think your son is throwing his life away, getting sent to jail, running around doing God knows what, getting into fights, being best friends with a drop out - after you try discipline, and reasoning and nothing works, what do you do? I mean, I know what you do according to Oprah, you just keep being a perfect parent and wait until it blows over. But, when you're an actual human being, and you have massive stress on you from your kid, and you're working your hardest to support your family, what do you do? Darry hits Pony - once, yes, and he's young, but, from what I've heard, raising a teenager does not get easier when you're older. Maybe his dad really is just an alcoholic jerk, but it's hard to say, because, as always, we have only one POV to work from. I'd be really interested to see something from Steve's dad's perspective, or from a POV that's less biased.
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Post by Tensleep on May 23, 2007 14:05:51 GMT -5
Great point, Zevie. Every even in that book leads right back to the question of POV.
I would assume if Steve's dad was forking out five bucks - a nice sum back then - that there would have to be something physical to it. Perhaps Zevie has a point and Steve's dad lost some control because Steve was acting like a moron, but still.
Anyways, my random thought on the subject today.
See ya in the funny papers!!!
Tens
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Post by Ryker on May 29, 2007 14:33:39 GMT -5
Steve's Ma... I always saw her as a submissive housewife; doing what her husband said, not standing up for herself or Steve when her husband got mental on them. I also see her babying Steve, and she's the only reason he sticks around. Mamma's boy.
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Post by EmilineHarris on Jul 24, 2007 20:30:07 GMT -5
I'm of the mindset that Steve's mom is there, but she has some sort of chronic illness.
I started a Steve story, "Running on Empty," but have been very, very bad about writing and/or updating it. In that story, I began to establish that Steve's mom has MS and, therefore, is pretty much bedridden and dependent upon him and his father for just about everything. They used to be a "happy family" and things were different when she was well, but since her illness took over, things really fell apart for the Randles.
The whole illness scenario, at least for me, justifies a couple things. First, it makes sense of Steve's dad's behavior. In happier times he loved his wife and son, but coping with the illness and a teenager and unending financial issues was too much for him to handle... Enter the drinking, emotional abusiveness, and all around anger. It also makes sense of why Steve's mom doesn't do anything about the father/son relationship between Steve and his dad... She probably doesn't fully know about it or realize that there is a bigger problem there. Also, the illness gives me a glimpse into why Steve is so angry. He has a sick mother and his father hasn't stepped up, but rather, checked out and left them fending for themselves.
This just makes sense to me and adds a little more color to the Outsiders universe (like there isn't enough conflict already). I mean, we already have examples of dead parents, divorced/separated parents, physcially abusive parents... and now ill parent(s).
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Post by fairlane on Jul 25, 2007 20:49:04 GMT -5
Third that - there is a sad lack of good Steve stories around!
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Post by fosterchild on Jul 25, 2007 21:11:17 GMT -5
A Steve story is starting to rattle around in my brain the past couple days. I don't know if it'll be any good but I'll let y'all know when I write it!  |
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Post by EmilineHarris on Jul 25, 2007 22:02:41 GMT -5
Nooooooo!! Not emo tears! I can't stand it!!
There is no guilt needed from the rest of you... I already feel guilty that I've left Steve hanging. It's like I teased him a little and then I totally let him down. I can't imagine a greaser guy taking to fondly to that, so he is probably just as upset over it as you all are.
I'll tell you what: I'll dedicate some time to get back at it in the next couple of days. But if it totally sucks, you can't blame me for it... The pressure! I don't know if I can take it!!
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Post by BlindedxxFalcon on Sept 15, 2007 19:24:15 GMT -5
I just throught of a perfect kind of backstory for Steve. Here goes.
Steve was a little kid when his dad started hitting him and then making up for it. His mom didn't want that, so she tried to divorce his father but his father ended up killing her. Steve didn't see it or know anything about it, and his father said she got into an accident of some sort. Which is why he isn't as hardened as Dally.
That would make a great story, if I had time to write it.
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