Final answer:
The mother's old drawings of the characters from The Monster's stories symbolize a deep connection between the mother, The Monster, and the stories themselves. Her depiction with The Monster suggests a strong bond, alliance, or shared identity with The Monster. The drawings may also denote the role of imagination and nurturing in the generation of these stories
Step-by-step explanation:
In the context of the question, it appears that the mother's drawings in the book symbolize a strong connection between the imagined stories of The Monster, the mother, and the characters in the book. This suggests that the mother is either the origin and creator of these stories or has a deep familiarity and involvement with them.
Her depiction sitting on The Monster's shoulder specifically might represent a bond or alliance between the mother and the Monster, or it could indicate that the Monster is a part of the mother's identity or imagination. Much like Goya's insight that imagination combined with reason can lead to the wondrous, the mother's drawings seem to serve as a source of wonder derived from the artful blend of reality and fantasy. Additionally, they can be seen as a nurturing influence, much like how the woman in Nikolai Zhukov's artwork represents a caretaking figure responsible for her child's upbringing and protection, symbolized by The Monster and his stories.
Learn more about Symbolism in Literature