Who is Carolina Carper from The River Why and what is their importance?

Otherwise known as "Ma" throughout the novel, Carolina is Gus's mother and Henning's wife. Unlike her husband, Ma is a bait-and-hook angler, preferring a good set of worms to fly-fishing lures. She is the direct opposite of her husband in her upbringing as well. While Henning is more refined and elegant, Ma comes from a more rugged background. For this reason, she is very protective of her sons and calls it just like she sees it. She defends her son against a neighbor's Doberman and seems to have an inherent foresight in her that allows her to be there when she is most needed to protect and defend her sons.