Tyler writes: “It shamed her now to sit before this principle as a parent, a delinquent parent, a parent who strum Mr. Lanham, no doubt as unseeing or uncaring” (Tyler). This quote shows how Donny’s mother cares about how she looks while she is in the principal 's office, rather than caring about Donny. Tyler writes: “She sat next to him as he worked, trying to be encouraging, sagging inwardly as she saw the poor quality of everything he did” (Tyler). Donny’s mother then tries to help her son in what she thought to be helpful, but she is upset because of the quality of his work, showing how she would sit and watch while he failed, rather than sit and help him. “Imagine, Daisy thought, how they must look to Mr. Lanham” (Tyler). When Daisy is