China, who is giving birth to very treasured puppies. A significant part of the novel is focused on Skeetah and Esche’s efforts to provide for the puppies and their mother. On the other hand, Esche herself is pregnant, and it dawns on her that she doesn’t have much of choice but to give birth. She says, "This is what it means to be pregnant so far: throwing up. Sick from the moment I open my eyes, look up at the puckered plaster ceiling, remember who I am, where I am, what I am" (Ward, 34). At this point, China’s puppies are used as metaphors to illustrate what Esche’s future holds. Mothers are portrayed as human figures capable of both love and hatred towards their infants and the...
