Character Analysis
Bobby's mom is a true academic, which is both good and bad for him. It's good because it means that she mostly keeps out of his way and imparts in him a love of literature and learning. But it's bad because she is so caught up in her professorial responsibilities that sometimes she can tend to forget about him… like the day that he goes invisible. She leaves him a note and goes to work, which irks Bobby:
My folks. They never lose sight of the important things. Like keeping up with homework. And poetry seminars. […]
So let me get this straight, Mom: Your kid goes invisible and that's not an emergency? (2.54-56)
Instead of staying home and tending to her son like most mothers would, Mrs. Phillips just goes on to work. But don't take that to mean that she doesn't care about her son. When it really matters, Mrs. Phillips surprises Bobby by turning into an aggressive mama bear. She gets ornery when the social worker shows up, and announces that she's not going to let them get to Bobby; she'd rather go to jail first. When the authorities come to search the house, she turns them away with a steely look:
Mom isn't even trying to smile now. "The terms of your search warrant are quite clear. You have permission to make a superficial survey of the premises in order to see if my son is here, which, as I have already told you, he is not… As far as I am concerned, however, this is still a family matter over which you and the state of Illinois have no jurisdiction whatsoever." (16.21 )
Bobby's mom will protect him at any cost, even if it means getting herself arrested. She may not be the kind of mom who bakes him cookies or asks him how his day was when he gets home from school, but she's willing to lay down her life for him… and that's something that he grows to appreciate.