The Statue

The Mother of God statue has been in the Sullivan family for four generations. Made from rosewood, it is a foot and a half high. Its hair is red, its cloak sapphire, its halo gold leaf, and carved around the base are tiny stars. What sets it apart from other Mother of God statues is “a certain inestimable loveliness” and its “translucent flush of a girl startled by a compliment” (3). Originally a gift from Bernadette’s grandfather to her grandmother, the statue has a complex origin. Bernadette’s grandfather told her grandmother that he had an artist in Rome sculpt it in her likeness, but later Bernadette’s grandmother discovers that her husband had actually stolen it from a church one night when he was drunk. This coveted object symbolizes the timeless and unconditional nature of motherly love, which every character in this book craves...