The mother is angry at Arnold, because Arnold has killed his brother. And that way she shows her anger at Arnold, “No one spoke at supper, and his mother, who sat next to him, leaned her head in her hand all through the meal, curving her fingers over her eyes so as not to see him”, (p.4 l. 101-102). The mother has a hard  time looking at Arnold, because she can’t put Arnold front of herself after the tragedy. She ignored him by curving her fingers over her eyes. 

EX 2

(P. 5 ll. 105-120)

Arnold would talk with his mother after she ignored him at the supper. He went to her door, and would talk with her about the tragedy. The mother wouldn’t talk with him, and she said that he should go back to his bed again. The mother didn’t give Arnold a chance to talk with her. She didn’t act motherly, because she doesn’t support him, what a mother should do, no matter what.

Seyma, Anders og Sena

“Go back! Is night when you get afraid?” (p. 5 l. 116). She questions Arnolds feelings, and it says behind the lines that she doesn't understand why he suddenly get afraid when it’s night, and doesn’t get afraid when he shoots Eugie.

It also shows that she has a hard time connecting to Arnold, or at least knowing how to be there for him. 

Example 2:

“Where’s Eugene?” his mother asked scoldingly. She wanted, Arnold knew, to see his eyes, and when he had glanced at her she walked past him,” (s. 2 l. 45-46). 

This tells us how she knows her son, Arnold, and she knows by looking in his eyes that something is up.

Emma og Gustav

She is retreating from Arnold because of the thing that he did, even though he is her son she does not want to comfort him when he needs it the most, instead she just sends him back to bed, because she does not want to deal with him, and maybe does not know exactly how to deal with him, “Go back to bed, Arnold, she called sharply. But he waited. Go back! Is night when you get afraid?” (p. 5 ll. 116 – 118)

Frederikke og Marius

"No one spoke at supper, and his mother, who sat next to him, leaned her head in her hand all through the meal, curving her fingers over her eyes so as not to see him" (p. 4, ll. 101-102). She does not wants to confront Arnold and therefore she avoids him. She does not shows him compassion and support like a usually mother, maybe because she does not know how to act. 

 

Example 2: 

"Go back to bed, Arnold, she called sharply. But he waited. Go back! Is night when you get afraid" (p. 5, ll. 116-118). She ignores him, because she is shocked about what he did to the family. She rejects him and refuses to listen to him, because she is conflicted around the situation that her younger son kills her bigger son.

Anna Karen og Matilde

 

His mother doesn't think about him at the moment and just want him to get out of her face and she reject him when he stands in the door. "Go back to bed, Arnold,"she called sharply. But he waited. Go back! Is night when you get afraid?" (P.5,l  116-118)

 

The next morning, Arnold fells humiliated because of what happend the day before.The mother have done or said something to him "At breakfast he kept his eyelids lowered as if to deny the humiliating night". (P. 5, l 131)