Baxter is a mother of Maya. If we compare Vivien with her mother, they are cheese and chalk. Vivien is a short woman with light hair, and her mother is completely the opposite. Despite the fact that she is very educated, Vivien spends a lot of time joking, smoking, dancing in different clubs and hanging out with men. She doesn’t have a regular job; it is easier for her to date with sugar daddies in order to feed herself and her children. Vivien has no mercy and sympathy to others. She almost has killed a person for cursing at her. The woman doesn’t cope with her mother duties. She often let her children visit different parties and hang out with her boyfriends. She doesn’t notice during a long time that her daughter is pregnant. We can say without any doubts that if Maya had been at her grandma's house while pregnant, Mommy, who was very attentive to the girl, would have found out about it much quicker. However, having found out that, Vivien came back home in order to support her daughter. She also was attentive to her daughter when her boyfriend Mr. Freeman had raped Maya. Vivien is a very selfish person who takes care only about herself. She fails to be a good mother, but her maternal instinct sometimes works as it is supposed to do.
Mother (Vivien Baxter) in the Essays