What do you think of the mother? Why did she target the child? Does she have mental health issues?

Abandonment is one of the book's main themes. To be abandoned means to be left to take care of yourself. Dave first finds himself abandoned by his mother. When he was young, she was good to him.... loving, concerned, and demonstrative. Sadly, however, as time went by, his mother's mental health began to deteriorate, as a result of alcoholism, and her motherly instincts began to steadily slip away, and David became her enemy. David became the object of her anger and a source of deep hatred. Her actions.... inexcusable.