Easy Adjustment to New York

Although it must have been extremely hard to move from Haiti to New York, Sophie seems to be adjusting unbelievably well so far. She clearly saw Tante Atie as a mother figure before she left because of the card that she made her on mother's day. When her real mother finally greets her at the airport, their relationship was a little bit stifled at first but surprisingly natural after a few days. I think what made Sophie feel so comfortable was the fact that her mother needed her so badly. When her mother was constantly having horrific nightmares, she sounted on Sophie to wake her up. I think this did multiple things for Sophie. For one, it seperated her mother from her Tante Atie. It took away all the pressure that she was feeling before leaving that her mother would somehow replace Tanta Atie. After her mother showed her all of her unique vulnerabilities, this difference couldn't be more stark. Another thing that it did, was create the type of mother-daughter relationship in which they both rely upon each other. This relationship of exuality works out well for Sophie while she is adjusting but not so well for her mother when she wants to come down hard on the rules. As Sophie continues to grow up, it becomes harder and harder for her mother to play the disciplinarian.