Literary analysis of Mrs. Dietrich's character in Joyce Carol Oates's short story "shopping"

Literary Analysis of Mrs. Dietrich’s Character in Joyce Carol Oates’s Short Story “Shopping”
Shopping is based on tribulations of a mother daughter relationship that are exposed during their annual shopping trip. Mrs. Dietrich is a middle aged woman whose marriage collapsed due to betrayal by her husband. Mrs. Dietrich’s only outlet for giving and receiving love is through her seventeen year old daughter Nola, who she desperately longs to have an intimate relationship with. Mrs. Dietrich hopelessly tries to preserve Nola’s childlike image, fearing, she will no longer be needed when Nola becomes an adult. Mrs. Dietrich overwhelming fear of loosing the love of her daughter is causing her to be a friend instead of a parent. Mrs. Dietrich unwillingness to enforce parental guidelines combined with her lack of communication is pushing Nola away, and could potentially ruin their relationship.
Mrs. Dietrich was twenty-nine years of age when she finally got pregnant with...