Big Mama

While her overbearing antics usually come off as obnoxious, Big Mama is possibly the most unfairly treated character in the play. She is avoided by nearly every character until they have something to gain from her, and she is treated even more cruelly by her husband to whom she is blindly devoted. Not only does this represent the lack of return for subscribing to inflexible traditionalist values, Big Mama’s lack of respect from other characters shows that even sincerity fails to lead to fulfilment when it is accompanied with naivety and a lack of self-honesty – traits that manifest in her obesity.