Deep in its darkness and freezing stench she squatted down, turned the baby over on her knees, exposed his buttocks and shoved the last bit of food she had in the world (besides three beets) up his ass. Softening the insertion with the dab of lard, she probed with her middle finger to loosen his bowels. Her fingernail snagged what felt like a pebble; she pulled it out and others followed.
Eva's version of motherhood can be seen as brutal and perhaps links to her killing Plum later on. Perhaps this type of motherhood was too sacrificial for her and she could only do it for her childrn when they were young
