Psychology and parenthood
One of the most important ways that a parent can help a child is by helping the child to understand their life in positive terms. This happens when parents encourage children and support them, offering grace when the kid inevitably makes mistakes. But this novel shows the other side of that coin. What happens if instead of supporting and teaching her daughter, the mother becomes jealous and hateful, often beating her child? Or even worse, what happens when a father, instead of protecting and cherishing his daughter's life, decides to rape her?
The answer for Precious is that such unspeakable abuse from parents leaves her completely unable to relate successfully with her peers. They make fun of her for her weight (which is a product of the same abuse in this case). They make fun of her for her skin color and for her academic set-backs (also the product of mistreatment). In the end, Precious is almost all the way through high school when she meets the first kind woman she ever met: Ms. Rain.
Redemption and survival
Throughout the novel, Precious uses the word "Push!" as a mantra, reminding her of the time she had to deliver a baby (at the young age of 12!) when the paramedics were telling her to keep pushing even though it hurt. This ends up being the root of Precious's sense of hope. This hope ends up being ultimately challenged when Precious discovers that her father passed along the HIV virus to Precious during one of the times he raped her. She decides that even in the face of likely death, she will "push" on, doing the best she can for her children.
Maternal love
If Precious's mother represents hatred, then Precious herself represents the difficult sacrifices of love. She paves a way for a better life for Abdul, and she even rears her older child with Down Syndrome. These sacrifices should be contrasted to Mary's poor example. Perhaps it was the love of Ms. Rain who (like rain at the end of a drought) shows Precious love, even when she can't really do much to help herself. Ms. Rain's love brings Precious out of her shell, restoring the damage that Mary did to her daughter.
