Summary

The first section of the novel begins with an excerpt from the perspective of the lioness. She presents herself as a fiercely protective mother by acknowledging the inherent connection she shares with her cubs. Ellmann later references this bond when the protagonist reveals how deeply she misses her cat Bathsheba. By establishing cats as symbols of maternal relationships from the outset of Ducks, Newburyport, Ellmann foreshadows the integral role motherhood plays in her novel.

The protagonist immediately introduces herself as both a mother of four children and the daughter of her deceased parents. She focuses predominantly on her children and the maternal duties she fulfills to support them during the opening of Ducks, Newburyport, indicating that her identity is largely defined by her kids. Ellmann conveys that the protagonist is a lenient mother when she explains that Stacy convinced her to exempt the children...