Henry’s mother continues to work at milking the cow and peeling potatoes as she talks with henry. how does her behavior demonstrate the role of farming among families in nineteenth-century america? it demonstrates that parents were more concerned with work than the decisions of their children at that time. it suggest that parents often sought to distract themselves with trivial tasks rather than face difficult truths at that time. it suggest the high level of effort required by all members of a family living on a farm at that time. it demonstrates that the work on the farm must be done by men rather than women if it is to be completed effectively.