wauuut

I think the dream of the iguana princess and all that was Rika's way of trying to understand how her mother treated her. I don't think we're meant to take the dreams literally, since she also dreamt about eating her goat boyfriend. There are multiple reasons why the mother saw her child as a "monster" from a mental health perspective, but I think what we're meant to take away is the extent to which abusive parents can shape a child's self-image, and how they perceive others, into adulthood. Eventually, Rika realizes her mother is the "monster" after all, which is why she appears that way at the wake.