The motif of control is pervasive throughout Darling Girls and affects multiple characters, highlighting the power dynamics at play within abusive relationships. Miss Fairchild, the foster mother at Wild Meadows, embodies the most overt form of control in the novel. Her strict cleaning regimens, frugal living conditions, and unpredictable mood swings are all mechanisms designed to maintain dominance over her foster children. Her extreme measures, such as forcing Alicia to eat beans off the floor or locking Norah in the dark basement, demonstrate the extent of her need for control. Even her initial affection toward Jessica is a form of manipulation that is designed to create dependency and loyalty.

This controlling environment has a lasting impact on the adult lives of the foster sisters. Jessica, who spent the longest time under Miss Fairchild’s influence, develops anxiety and a need for control that manifests in her career as a home organization expert. However, her addiction to benzodiazepines reveals the fragility of this control, unlike the manipulative control of Miss Fairchild. Norah also grapples with control issues stemming from her time at Wild Meadows. Her aggressive behavior and tendency to use sex transactionally can be interpreted as a response to the powerlessness that she experienced in foster care.