Co-Dependency

The element of "The Enduring Chill" that most stood out for me was the co-dependency between the mother and the son. Their dysfunctional relationship was a self-fueling beast that is fairly common, in my observation.

Mrs. Fox comes across as an over-attentive mother in this story, especially as Asbury resists her efforts to help him. As disgusted as Asbury gets--and as pathetic and cruel his behavior--it is apparent to me that he craves this attention. Otherwise he wouldn't behave in such a manner that elicits this attention.

Like a lot of parent-child relationships, Mrs. Fox still thinks of Asbury as her baby boy. But in a classic role, Asbury resists, saying he's an adult, but then behaves as a child. If Asbury wants to be treated as an adult, then he should act like one. Likewise, if Mrs. Fox wants an adult relationship with her son, she should treat him as one.

Instead, Asbury smokes in the barn, drinks the milk and encourages insubordination among her help. Mrs. Fox demeans his lifestyle, wanting him to find "real work, not writing."

In the end, you could argue, both characters get what they want. For the rest of his life, Asbury can play the tortured artist due to his illness, Mrs. Fox the doting mother. Their co-dependency will keep them together.