Robert and his Mother

A very, very strange relationship is shared between Robert and his mother. In part 10 of chapter 1, Ross is taking a bath when his mother walks in. She sits down on a toilet seat and Robert looks away. His mother asks "Did he hurt you very badly?"
"No."
She then goes on to talk about the bruise over Roberts shoulder and asks with the smallest hint of generosity "Do you want me to...help in any way?"
"No," followed by "Thank you."

Mrs. Ross starts to talk about how Robert has fallen a lot as a child, and Robert hated the way she used his childhood as a weapon. She then starts to laugh hysterically at Roberts childhood mistakes, which might indicate her bullying personality. Things get really tense and she finally drops the line...
"You think Rowena belonged to you. WEll I'm here to tell you, Rober, no one belongs to anyone. We're all cut off at birth with a knife and left tat the mercy of strangers. You hear that? Strangers. I know what you want to do. I know you're going to go away and be a soldier. Well- you can go to hell. I'm not responsible. I'm just another stranger. Birth I can give you-but life i cannot. I can't keep anyone alive. Not anymore."
These were the last words that the two have shared with each other, and what a horrible way to end a domestic relationship. Mrs. Ross' words have isolated not only Robert out, but her and everyone on the planet. However, her words still share that tiny glimpse of mourning and sadness.. "I can't keep anyone alive. Not anymore."

Robert and Rowena's Rabbits

Shortly after his sisters death, Robert is told to kill Rowena's rabbits... by his own mother. Robert and his mother share a strange relationship, where his mother is very asserting and guarding her emotions from the family. The rabbits were a prized position of Rowena, and she even died while playing with her rabbits. The rabbits are symbolic to Robert and Rowena because 1) They were their favourite pets, and 2) They symbolize the gentle, caring, fragile nature of both Robert and Rowena. Robert however could not kill his sisters precious rabbits because they were the last thing to remember his sister by. Though it seems ideal to treasure his sister's rabbits, Robert's failure to kill or even let go of the rabbits shows his inability to overcome hard obstacles.