Why does the pro-bono work with young, underprivileged girls make Paula feel close to her estranged mother, Kai? How would you describe Kai as a mother?

Why does the pro-bono work with young, underprivileged girls make Paula feel close to her estranged mother, Kai? How would you describe Kai as a mother?

Kai obviously loved her children - but she wasn't much more than a child herself. "Free-spirited" seems, in her case, to be a nice way of saying "irresponsible." Impulse control is clearly not her thing. She may have been loving, but she was a truly awful role-model, and some of that modeling carried over to her daughter.

Paula felt the girls in her pro-bono cases were living incarnations of her mother. By helping these girls, she is symbolically helping her mother, and trying to assuage her guilt for calling the police on Kai all those years ago. Paula felt that if she had never done that, their lives would have been very different.

Kai feels closer to her mother when she is helping these girls who are much like her mother. She feels a lot of guilt for calling the police and getting her mother arrested. Her mother is symbolic of a young girl who clearly had no idea about child- rearing. I personally detest women like her who don't put their children first before herself. Can't understand why people feel the need to have children if they don't want to be responsible.

I certainly do agree with Terry R that Paula is trying to appease the reason for her's and her mother's separation by working with troubled girls.

Often pregnancy happens when the woman (or girl) actually isn't feeling the need to have the baby and wanting responsibility doesn't enter at all. Then she must determine how to handle the situation.That can go many ways.

Paula does pro bono work as penance for her guilt about calling 911 and getting her mother arrested. She also wants to keep vulnerable young women from entering a downward spiral that she managed to avoid.

Kai was very much a free spirit, but she always took Paula with her when she made her numerous escapes. Kai also told her stories to educate her about strength so Paula had that to fall back on when she needed it. Paula most definitely did not have a traditional upbringing but she was strong enough to make the best of what she had and had success along the way.

Paula's pro bono work with troubled girls is her way of helping those who have had lives similar to her mother and to herself. She is trying to save them.

I think it was atonement for her perceived sin . Kai had a personality disorder and although she cared about her children she did not put her children's,' needs first. I disliked her immensely.

I think it was atonement for her perceived sin . Kai had a personality disorder and although she cared about her children she did not put her children's,' needs first. I disliked her immensely.

I agree 100% with iread49.
I too think it was atonement for her perceived skin.
I also think that Kai was incredibly selfish & never put her kids ahead of herself.
Not once did she make a decision that was in the best interest of her children without being forced to do so. She was forced to give Julian up for adoption & she was forced to attempt to take Hana to Paula because she was dying.
Accepting the checks from Paula each month was just disgusting. By accepting them she was feeding into Paula's belief that it was her fault that her mom ended up in prison.
Kai was never forced to accept responsibility for the choices she made that led to each of her children being abandoned by her. Paula was left to clean up after her. Paula is now responsible for Hana & by extension Julian.

I see Kai as self centered and using Paula as a prop to her life. It is surprising that Paula turned out the way she did, but perhaps the stories helped her. I am not clear as to how Paula ended up as an attorney.

Paula's strongest need is to feel worthy and prove that given an opportunity these girls lives might change for the better. Out of all the lawyers in the firm only she had the skills & history to understand the lives of these girls. The pro-bono work becomes an emotional drain on Paula almost like an addiction when she overdoes it just to prove her value in this world. The classic response of an abused child.

Kai really was a child playing at being in this world and the world of her stories. Not having a stable living environment Paula's desire, value & love of education was a saving grace.