Character Analysis
Mom With an Attitude
Nina's mom isn't in the best health. She's a smoker, and she's getting old, and here's how she's described: "She had the hoarse rasp and yellow fingertips of a chronic smoker, her hair looked like a frayed clump of steel wool, and her scarlet lipstick was bleeding into the cracks around her mouth" (1.18). In her defense, she's seventy-six years old and lives with her vampiric daughter, so she's not supposed to be picture-perfect, right?
She's also pretty cranky, which we totally can't blame her for. After all, how would you feel if your only child was turned into a vampire against her will, and condemned to an eternity of bowel pain and blood-sucking? Even worse, Nina's mom has to deal with the other vamps, too, like when they come to stay with her to evade the slayer. Her response to this proposition is: "For Chrissake […] this isn't a bloody hotel. Why don't you go to Rookwood Cemetery and find yourselves a nice mausoleum?" (5.14). Hey—she calls 'em like she sees 'em.
Oh, and Nina's mom has a colorful past, too. She was a barmaid, and she likes to tell stories about the exciting things that happened to her. By far her favorite is: "I once held off six drunken bikers with a cricket bat and a bottle of Guinness" (5.46). That would be one of our favorite things to recount, too, to be honest.
Aside from barmaid exploits, Nina's mom seems like she's generally pretty well adjusted. According to Nina, "She's had a very active retirement so far, what with her volunteer hospital work, and her bridge club, and her pottery classes" (6.8). She might feel like she's running a vampire hotel, but her life is still way more normal than those of the bloodsuckers around her.
Loyalty to the Max
Despite moodiness, we're still inclined to respect Nina's mom because she's always supported Nina. Here's how Nina thinks of it: "She might treat me as if I'm still fifteen, and b**** about everything I wear, and give me haircuts that make me look like Judith Durham from the Seekers, but at least she's stuck by me" (5.36). Given how hard it would be for Nina to hack it on her own, this is no small contribution on her mother's part.
In terms of motherhood, we've noticed that Nina's mom is a little overprotective. When Nina volunteers to go to Cobar, her mom shoots down the idea, saying, "Oh no you won't […] You'll stay right here" (6.74). She thinks the trip will "be the bloody death of you!" (6.76) Um, Mom, chill, okay? Nina only looks fifteen—she's actually way older.
Even at her crankiest, though, Nina's mom is just looking out for her. When total chaos breaks out—Horace fangs Dermid, who then bites his own father and runs off—Nina's mom snaps at Nina. She ends her tirade with a reminder to eat, though: "There's only one guinea pig left downstairs. You'd better grab it before someone else does" (27.21). Classic mom behavior, right? Having a vampire for a daughter isn't easy, but Nina's mom seems to handle everything thrown her way, showing she's a good mom to her core.