There are many different ways to describe the mysticism that pervades Willow Springs in Mama Day by Gloria Naylor. Most people would call it magic, but each character would describe it differently. Mama Day would call it seeing. Dr. Buzzard would call it voodoo. Cocoa would say it's mom's touch. George would call it nonsense. Most residents of Willow Springs would simply call him 18 and 23. Regardless of how he is labeled, he is undeniably present and powerful throughout the novel. This magic is only slightly more prevalent than the presence of strong maternal figures. Although very few biological mothers exist in Naylor's novel, each character has a mother figure who plays an important role in her upbringing. Additionally, the maternal figures in each character's life influence how he or she perceives the mysterious phenomena surrounding Willow Springs. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essaySapphira Wade is at the epicenter of everything in Naylor's novel; the most important of which is her place as a universal mother figure as well as the source of all magic and mysticism. Sapphira is not only the beginning of Willow Springs but also the predecessor of Days. Because she ensured freedom and shelter for her children, she is revered as a deity by the current residents of Willow Springs. George directly comments on this fact when he says, “she was the great, great, great Mother – as if I were listing the attributes of a goddess” (218). Not only is it revered for its founding, but it is also still present on the island. Through nature, Sapphira touches the lives of her descendants. During the hurricane, people prayed “to be spared from what could only be the work of the Woman. And it has no name” (251). This is further evidence of his divine status among the inhabitants of Willow Springs and also shows how he uses nature to exert his power. After Mama Day's pleas for George's protection, "a breeze came out of nowhere...stood behind [her] back" (300). Of course, this is another example of Sapphira's natural maternal presence. Even though this specific case did not end happily, Sapphira continually displays her power and mercy throughout the novel with these examples of magical interference. More importantly, Sapphira appears to be the direct source of Mama Day's powers. While searching for answers to Cocoa's dilemma, the power is described as "[f]owing like thin streams of hot, liquid sugar to fill the spaces" (283 ). Since Mama Day is Sapphira's oldest living descendant, it stands to reason that she would possess the same powers that belonged to Sapphira. The entire plot of the novel is rooted in the power of Mama Day and Sapphira's mysterious maternal presence. Miranda plays the second most important maternal figure in the novel. Following the death of her mother, Miranda was forced to grow up quickly to care for her family, which eventually led her to see the magic of Willow Springs. She admits that her family called her "little mama" and "there was no time to be young" as they needed her to "cook, clean, mend, garden" for her family (88). When Miranda's mother lost her peace, she also lost the ability to be a mother to her other children. Since Miranda did not have a mother in her life, she had to be the mother of all her family members. He was even believed to "have a gift," which appears to derive from his original mother, Sapphira (262). This maternal gift also came with the ability to see and control the supernatural aspects of life in Willow Springs. Although Miranda believes in these eventssupernatural, he doesn't believe they are magical. He believes that “the only magic is what he believes in” that it is (96). According to Mama Day, the mysticism that takes place in Willow Springs is not voodoo or magic, but simply seeing what is already in front of her. Through attention to nature and animals it is possible to know everything about the island. She can attribute this special affinity to the gift that Sapphira passed on to her while serving as a mother figure to her family. Instead of recognizing her gift as magic, she simply states that she "could disguise a small dose of nothing but maternal ingenuity with a lot of tricks" (97). Believing that his gift is magical, it will have magical effects on the recipient, not through actual magic of his own creation. Rather than magic, Mama Day would claim to have sight that allows her to utilize the inherent power of nature. Cocoa was raised by her grandmother and Mama Day, which left her in the difficult position of believing in the powers of her hometown. Cocoa comments: “It seemed like I couldn't do anything bad with her, but with Mama Day I couldn't do anything good. I guess, in a funny way, together they were the perfect mother” (58). Like most of the characters in the novel, Cocoa does not have a biological mother. But the mix of Abigail's gentle motherly attitude and Miranda's stern guidance is the perfect combination for a surrogate mother figure. Although Cocoa is unwilling to acknowledge the mysterious events occurring in Willow Springs, she knows that they exist and that Mama Day is the source of them. He experiences “one of those days that mother said there would be…” when he realizes that “the air is more than fresh, it revives your senses” (102). Miranda had a similar feeling while experiencing nature at Willow Springs. This shows how Cocoa is stepping into Mama Day's shoes. She is inheriting the sight from Mama Day that was passed down from Sapphira's time. Mama Day admits this when she recognizes that "there is more of my blood that runs in her and more hands that can claim her than these" (294). This beautiful line demonstrates everything Mama Day feels about Cocoa. Since Cocoa is the only blood relative Miranda has, other than Abigail, she is expected to carry on the legacy of the Days. Miranda also knows that the special bond she has with Willow Springs extends to her great-granddaughter. Mama Day believes that "the rest will be in the little girl's hands, once she has learned to listen" (307). Due to her mixed upbringing, Cocoa is not as willing to listen to her eyesight as Mama Day would like. His grandmother, Abigail, has an aversion to the other place and its power while Mama Day is the source of the power. While she doesn't outright oppose Miranda's actions, she never directly acknowledges the power her sister wields until she needs to save Cocoa. This creates a complex and difficult situation for Cocoa. She wants to please both mother figures, but can't help but realize the supernatural aspects of being a Day woman, as she is starting to inherit powers herself. It is evident to any reader that Mrs. Jackson had a huge impact not only on George's childhood but also on his behavior later in life. Considering George grew up in an orphanage, structure and practicality were a big part of his life. Evidence of this emerges in his adult life when his wife comments, “A place for everything and everything in its place. I guess a lot of it had to do with growing up in an institution” (145). This obsessive nature illuminates the orphanage's lasting impression on George. She is yet another character who lacks a biological mother; however, the mother figure, Mrs. Jackson, does her best to turn her charges into productive members of society. Although order and logic.