Do you think Arlo was thriving under his mother's care? How do you believe his time in New York changed his perception of her and their life together? Did they ever come to a place of peace and understanding?

Arlo was primarily raised by his mother, who lived an itinerant life. Do you think he was thriving under her care? How do you believe his time in New York changed his perception of her and their life together? Do you feel they ever came to a place of peace and understanding?

Arlo's mother made me angry. She actually mistreated Arlo and I would go so far as to say she abused him. By not seeing that he received an education in his early years, she puts him at a disadvantage. I wanted her to shape up. I approved of his going to live with Spence, Pru, and Sarah. I also disliked the way his mother allows Arlo to think his father does not want him or wish to be in his life. That was certainly not true, and Arlo's mother was very wrong in that regard.

I think Arlo was trying to thrive despite his mother. But perhaps her very instability as a parent caused him to develop skills and talents that he otherwise would not have developed. The aspect of financial/food insecurity was a painful one. Unfortunately children in fractured families may be at greater risk to experience this insecurity with only one parent bringing in an income. Arlo's adversity played a big role in his intense dedication to financial success as an adult.

No. I think Linda neglected him, deriving him of education, sometimes depriving him of food, and generally letting him go his own way with no guidance. She also deprived him of connection with his father and deceived him as to Spence's feelings about him. I was not a fan.

Linda was a very selfish person who never should have had a child, because she put her needs and wants before his. She didn’t even know he was dyslexic! Of course, if he had been in school, this likely would have been discovered much earlier. And she kept his father’s letters from him - she was just so emotionally immature. How can a child thrive with a parent like this?

No, I do not think Arlo thrived while living with Linda. While he may have developed a variety of skills to help survive her lack of parenting, it does not mean he thrived. She was immature, self absorbed, and cruel. Her blatant lies regarding Spence’s desire of a relationship with Arlo were cataclysmic to his development and, as she desired, detrimental to his relationship with his father. I think his time in New York gave him a glimpse of a world he had never seen while living with his mother and probably contributed greatly to his later success. I don’t believe Linda and Arlo ever came to any type of understanding or peace. As much as Spence tries to bond with Arlo and as many times that Arlo realizes his father was reaching out to him, he couldn’t quite make the connection. Arlo and Spence were similar in this regard. I see Arlo as almost a feral cat, one who wants the affection, wants to belong, wants a home but yet… just can’t do it. As for Linda, I wouldn’t be surprised if he never saw her again.

I don't think Arlo thrived at all under his mother's care and would even consider her an abusive parent. She only thought about herself and what she wanted to do without considering what was good for her son. I feel like Arlo just tried to make the best of every situation she subjected him to.

Definitely not! Arlo’s mother was terrible. She was so self centered, she barely thought about him. She was deluded, a liar and a thief. I honestly cannot think of anything good to say about her. Well, I guess she didn’t let him starve.
Living with his dad let him know what a more normal life could be. I think he eventually just gave up on her and let it go at that.

Arlo's mother was selfish, did what she pleased, and never made Arlo a priority, except when it came to using him against Spence. When Arlo moved to NY to live with Spence and Pru, he experienced life in a whole new way, with stability and love, although Arlo fought against those. He struggled with his feelings that were developing for Spence and Pru because I think he felt that to allow himself to love and appreciate them was a betrayal to his mother.

Arlo was not thriving under his mother’s care. They were always relocating. He was never in the same school long enough to have a good education. His mother’s home schooling him was a joke. She also gave him the impression his father did not want him which was so wrong. She only thought of herself never putting him first. From the beginning she should have let Spence raise him. When he was finally the happiest he had been with her in the commune she even blew that and they had to leave.

I think Linda was too wrapped up in herself to worry about Arlo. She didn't provide him with what I would consider the basics that a parent needs to give a child. Arlo's life could have been so different.

I like juliep's answer that Arlo's mother was very selfish and really had no motherly ways. Having no education was really difficult for Arlo. Because of the way they lived, his only wish was to be rich. With of education, finding a way to do this was very difficult. He had a good mind, but lacked the basics. I believe the only reason she really wanted him was to hurt his father.

I think Arlos mother did a great disservice to him in the way he was being raised when he lived with her. She was irresponsible in not educating him either through home schooling or regular schooling. I am sure that he learned some life skills with the way they were living, just by the fact that he had to do so many things by himself since his mom was not around much,but it didn't make up for the fact that he couldnt even read when he went to live with his dad., I think he accepted her for who she was, but it certainly made his life more difficult, not having the basic skills to get by.